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All those.
Fighting all the way until the Lord say.
I'm sitting in the lazy.
Oh, I'll bring it to God. There's going to be one of our favorite Sunday when you come back for our high face, and then it's going to be on the floor.
Chapter One.
Fall and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the Saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you in peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making requests with joy.
Four year fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is me for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, and as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
For God is my record. How greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.
That ye may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ.
Unto the glory and praise of God. But I would you should understand, brethren, that the things which happen unto me.
Have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places, And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ even of ended being strife, and some also of goodwill. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is priest, and I therein do rejoice. Yeah, and will rejoice.
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For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed.
But that was all boldness, as always. So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I want not, for I am in a Strait betwixt 2 having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.
Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you, and having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Only let your conversation be, as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God, for unto you it is given into behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his faith, having the same conflict which he saw in me, and now here to be in me.
Or the 14 Epistles and four of them bring before us the Christian.
Foundation of truth revealed by the Lord to him.
And that is the Ephesians and Colossians and I Corinthians and 1St.
Excuse me, Timothy. The other ten are how this truth has lived out or the experiences, and this is one of those.
If so, was the thought that was particularly before me when I suggested that chapter in connection with the comments. And the number of the the hymns and thoughts that came out was how Paul lived at the, you see, at the end of acts and under house arrest, rolling two whole years in his own hired house, receiving all that came unto him. And so to speak, here he is in prison, looking out at a scene that would naturally dishearten and break a man.
But how he had joy to go on in the pathway of faith and to walk in what he had taught and was brought before what he had brought before the Saints. I really believe that that's what's necessary for our hearts in these days in which we're living, when Paul's doctrine is really under attack.
Paul doesn't speak.
As he does in utter access.
Of the.
His authority so much here he's a servant.
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And linked here with the with him.
In that service.
And addresses the same.
And it's interesting too. He addresses the bishops and deacons.
The same time. Now we know that.
The word Bishop.
Is translated or the word that is translated as Bishop is also translated as overseer or elder.
So they were local offices.
The bishops were responsible for the spiritual well-being of the Saints, while the Deacon had responsibility to look after the material needs.
And all of this is very practical for us and hopefully while we do not have people officially in that position, there will be those who will be serving in that capacity.
The Lord will raise up such who will serve without having an official title.
This is attempted even amongst some brethren to give people an official title of an elder, but that is not according to scripture. But we don't need official people in that position officially.
In order to for them to perform that service. These are very important services, especially those who watch over our souls.
The path to the wilderness, isn't it? The book of Philippians takes us through and I was thinking of the in the first chapter you have life and you have example in the second chapter. Then you have object in the third chapter and in the 4th chapter you have power. I thought I just just referred to a verse over in Proverbs.
Verse Chapter 4 and verse.
Yeah, verse 18.
And this is an interesting verse because it seems to me it fits into this little book that we have of Philippines Philippi.
For but the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more under the perfect day. God is leading us through a wilderness, isn't he? And so He gives us life, He gives us example. He gives us a pattern.
An object before us, and he gives us power to walk, and apart from that we could not walk through this wilderness.
We'd be entrapped or snared. So I think it's very beautiful to think of this little epistle 4 chapters. But it it shows, again, doesn't it, that God's desire is that we might be recognized as power and his willingness to bring us through a path of confusion and so on. So it's beautiful.
In connection with.
Bishops.
Turn to Acts 6, Acts 20.
And Acts 20.
It says in verse 17.
Speaking of Paul and from my leaders, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
And in verse 28, speaking to the elders, he says, Take heed therefore unto yourselves and through all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost has made you. Overseers feed the Church of God. So the overseer and overseer that describes the office, the function, the responsibility, the elder describes the person.
They're two different words. We have two denominations that are a take off from those two words.
The Presbyterian Church comes from press Buddhist, which is elder and the Episcopalian church comes from Episcopal, which is overseers. So those two churches come from the Greek of the New Testament and that's how they got their names. But it's kind of interesting, but actually an overseer is an elder, Elder is an overseer. The one is describing the person sometimes you probably you might have met.
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Some of these Mormon missionaries.
If they're in their 20s, they've just gotten in their 20s, they're very young and they call themselves elders. Well, they're not elders.
They're not elders at all, they're just youngsters. And of course that that system doesn't follow the scriptures, but.
That's this is the only epistle I think that he includes the.
The bishops that's an overseer and deacons are a minister.
King James who authorized, That's why it's called the authorized version. He authorized this translation to be made and he gave certain instructions. He said you must keep the ecclesiastical names such as Bishop, Deacon, Church.
He wanted to keep those instead of for church, the assembly instead of for Bishop and overseer.
Instead of for Deacon, a minister, we in Christendom, when we talk about a minister, we can an entirely different thought we we think of a pastor of the church, but really the word means a minister, one that takes care of the temporal needs of the Saints. That's a Deacon or a minister and the overseer or the Bishop takes care of the spiritual needs of the Saints. It says in Acts. It says it does not meet that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. The serving of tables was the function of a Deacon.
Or a minister taking care of the temporal needs of the Saints. Now we have that we have those offices unofficially today. We don't have an apostle to appoint them. They they were all appointed by apostles or Apostolic delegates like Titus and Timothy. I think we get in those two epistles they qualifications for bishops and deacons.
And so evidently those men had were appointed of the apostles to appoint elders wherever they went. We don't have that today. So we don't have official overseers and deacons like they had in the early church. But they didn't have the complete word of God. We've got something infinitely better than overseers and deacons. We have the word of God in its completeness, and that's far better, isn't it? Is it not?
What your thought is to why he called in the bishops and deacons here?
Well, I didn't get what you said. What is your thought as to why he included them in this opening? Well, my thought is that this is this Epistle gives normal Christianity and in in those early days it was normal for the church to have it says in Acts 14 they appointed elders in every church where they had been. They didn't have the complete word of God and so they needed in order to maintain order and take care of these temporal needs which the deacons did like.
Attending on widows?
And the sick and make sure they were cared for. That was needed. Now we have the word of God, which enables us to carry out those functions, but not officially. There's another reason for including them here that's obscured in the verse that was read to us from Acts 20. And it should read in which God has made you overseers. And so I think the inclusion of them here is to show that they are all in the company.
Fear warns carefully against lording it over God's heritage. So we are all together in the assembly, and though there are those that have different responsibilities, it is the IT is the local expression of the body of Christ as we have heard, and therefore it includes All Saints. We need to encompass all the Saints in our thoughts and our prayers and our prayers.
Affections. So I think there's that inclusion here as well. Now there's a moral reason now.
As Ben said, we don't have official elders and deacons and as such overseers when the qualifications were given or where they are given to us. These are moral qualifications that commend themselves to the hearts and consciences of Saints.
And Paul says that to the desires and oversight desires a good work.
And I do this work, Oregon, you do the work, Oregon, a brother does the work.
Out of exercise and conscience before gone. Well, the company sees this and they say, well then you should be our elder. As soon as that individual is appointed to official place he can function whether he has any exercise or not, whether he's even the Lords or not, he may function. So we have to stay with what the scripture suggests to us, that these are moral qualifications and one rises to that place of responsibility and labor amongst the Saints by growing up in the assembly.
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The church never had any voice who the overseers were.
They did have a choice in connection with the deacons, those who were serving the tables. They picked out seven men, remember an act that were to serve the tables. And it has been pointed out they were administering that which the church supplies, material things, and therefore they had a voice. But they brought these to the apostles and they laid their hands on them, officially put them into that office. It's important to understand.
That officers have to do with the house aspect of the Church, not so much with the body of Christ. Their officers gifts have to do with the truth of the body of Christ.
As we find it in Paul's writings, in Corinthians and Ephesians and so on. But what is also important, there never was 1 overseer in the local church like here.
They're mentioned in the plural.
Now, we might run into a situation where there's only two or three brothers in an assembly. We also might run into a situation where there are no older men in an assembly when we, for instance, came to Brazil.
The oldest brethren that at that time, when the table was spread, they took responsibility. We're 30 years old.
Now he told them that that is definitely your greatest weakness, that you don't have old mature brethren, but if you go on in humility, the Lord can preserve you and guide you. But the rendering in the King James that is unfortunate is over, which the better rendering is always among whom.
You know, such men who are in the lead are never viewed as being up there. And the Saints down there, you know, they're all brethren, you know.
And service is to be emphasized, not ruled. There is such a thing as rule and leadership. More leadership than rule, really, but it's not as one in an elevated position. We need that in connection with our collective path and the Saints.
Are admonished in Thessalonica.
Where they didn't have official elders yet, because the apostles never officially put anyone into that position until they had proven themselves.
The established churches in their when they were on their missionary journey, but did not officially put them into that office till they had proven themselves and that letter to Tesla nightcap was written only weeks after their conversion.
But already there were those who took the lead, and the Saints have the responsibility to recognize them. Now we were asked that question in Malawi. How do the Saints recognize those that the Lord raises up those who have the care of the Saints at heart? You know that is the test, and it isn't that difficult to discern who such men are who, really.
Care for the spiritual well-being of the thing.
And we ought to accept that beloved Saints of God, that we need that kind of thing, even in our day. You know, this democratic idea that we have, that everybody is in the same equal position, is not scriptural. There are those who are in the lead and those who are left, and we better accept that. And we need that kind of individual or individual.
That will serve in that capacity.
There's a very good pamphlet that was very helpful to me and I recommended it to any of our younger brothers and sisters would like to get a handle on this subject called Office Gifts and Priesthood by AJ Pollock. It was a great help to me. It's both available and it's available both in Spanish and in English.
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And I recommend reading it carefully. One of the things that we want to make sure that we emphasize is that Office is local.
The local assembly.
If someone functions as a overseer and an assembly and moves to another assembly, is not automatically an overseer in that other assembly. It is something local tending to the local assembly.
I think sometimes we overlook that, but it's important just mention that.
We will focus because it's been a real blessing to many.
I have a question.
In the opening here Paul and Protheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons. That doesn't tell us anything here about about teachers, doesn't.
Or does it?
We're not told Paul was the teacher.
But I don't. I was just wondering about how he he brought this truth to these Philippian believers, and the responsibility then was among the bishops and deacons that were in that assembly. I don't know, I'm just asking this question. But in Timothy, Paul gives us one of the conditions for an elder apartment to teach.
But makes the office effectual effective is that he has the ability to bring the truth of God to bear.
On hearts and consciences, and in First Timothy 5 he speaks of the elders.
That rule well should be counted worthy of double honor, especially Day, who served in Word and doctrine. And we have in Hebrews 13 those who have taught to us the word of God. They are spoken of as leaders and guides, so we do see that it is desirable.
That those who are in that position have at least a measure of ability to bring the truth of God to bear on hearts and consciences, especially when there are spiritual problems.
Is there any significant to the fact that the words elders is only used by?
Paul and Timothy.
At least Timothy and Titus. Is there any significance to that? Whereas here to an assembly the the word bishops and elders are used?
Bishops and deacons.
I don't understand your question well.
Paul in writing to Timothy and Titus. He uses the word elders.
But I don't know whether the word elders is used in any of the pastoral letters such as this one to an assembly.
It may not be of any importance, but I just wonder. It uses the word Bishop and deacons, but not the word elders in any of the Epistles to assemblies. But the the Bishop is an elder. Yeah, it's a question of translation, not necessarily presented that way in the original. I see the translators choose to use the word in these epistles. They could have used another.
Aren't they different words though? Yeah, they are telling us before that we have two different words and I don't think that.
Translators have changed the word. I think the first one is efficiency and the bishops or bishops.
And between the other is presbyter which is.
An elder, and I don't think anyone took the liberty, so I think brother.
Norman's question is a valid one, but maybe we don't have the answer.
That book you mentioned, **** is a very interesting book. I read through that and what I was. What struck me the most was what he spoke about, how he spoke about the the gift of the a gift, what a gift is. And he put it very simply, he said.
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A gift is an expression of an impression.
If the brother has got something, if he's got a gift, he's impressed and so he's able to express that gift. I just mentioned that because that was an interesting point in the book.
It's very beautiful to notice that Paul writing this.
He takes a very low place. He doesn't call himself anything but servants of Jesus Christ. What could be lower than that?
The very word Deacon there comes from the original one in the South.
Translated secrets. And he's in the Doctor with the type of building up near where I lived. It's called the Adirondack Wing. So in the first law that you have to let, it's called the Deacon Log. You've got to set that down in the duct and then you can start construction on your building. It's called the Deacon Log and that's.
That's where that word speaking comes from in the South.
But I like to be permitted to develop a ridiculous pointing out a little more because.
That it is a local office. I appreciate it getting cleared up on these wrong thoughts, but it is a local office.
And if I were, for instance, or any brother would try to act as an overseer in any assembly other than the local assembly, we would act presumptuously.
We have no scriptural authority for that.
An apostles office. Apostle was a gift in an office was similar in character.
In that he had the care of all the assemblies and he had authority.
In all of the assemblies, and he did not need the fellowship of an assembly.
To use his authority. The Elders can never exercise authority without the assembly. These are all important principles to keep in mind. The Elders also were the ones that had to take care of matters and difficulties that arose when you take X15 when there was this problem in Antioch.
Paul and Barnabas.
Went to Jerusalem not to discuss the matter with the church. I emphasized that they didn't go to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the church.
They went to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the apostles and elders.
There is no spirituality in having hours and hours of discussions in with everybody in fellowship present for every brother in fellowship present. They came together in verse 6. The apostles and elders could take up that matter, not the church. The apostles and elders took it up. They are responsible to look into matters. They brought the assembly into the exercise because in verse 22 we read.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and elders and the whole church.
So the apostles there, in connection with the elders, after they had come to a conclusion, brought the assembly in. But it is never a spiritual thing. The whole idea that people have to argue things out in the assembly is not scriptural.
It's confusion.
When an announcement is made and things proposed to the assembly, if there are any questions and objections, they can be voiced to those in responsibility, but not.
Have a public argument that's not scriptural order. Well, I mentioned these things, beloved, because if we would have seen these things more clearly in recent difficulties, it could have avoided some of the difficulties. We dragged these young, unestablished souls into the battle and into the arguments, and they become casualties. It's not for the young to get involved in these things. And if you have older brethren, be thankful that you have them and let them handle these things and pray that the Lord might make matters clear to them and that they come to.
Make a proper proposal to the assembly and stay out of it, because you might well become a casualty if you're not spiritually up to it. And I'm not saying that it is necessarily only younger ones.
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It might also be older people who are not spiritually mature to get involved in these things.
I I trust you. Bear with me in bringing these things out. Let's be careful that we recognize broad border in the church. But would it not be a good brother nice to for the younger brothers to be sitting in on the brothers meeting and hearing these principles? I have difficulties with that for this reason, Brother Barry.
That we're living in 1997 and our generation is not used to just sit and listen.
My experience have been that the young people are dragged into the battle and they voiced themselves very freely.
I believe it is best for them not to be present, and I'm not saying that it can never be.
But when it is a question of serious, controversial matters, I think it's best that the elders.
Those whom God has raised up handle the situation and then don't ignore the assembly. They need the assembly in order to make assembly decisions. Can I add an Amen to that? You know my boy is he's here and he won't mind me saying this, but he was 15 and recently gathered to the Lord's name and so the brothers meeting was announced and he said, Dad, am I supposed to come along? No. I think what you say is the wisdom of God to become casualties and taking up matters that are really not.
But they're not fitted for yet, and it's a it's they ought to be taken up carefully and then the fear of God, as you've said, and to drag others in or allow others to come in, perhaps unwittingly, You know, when I was first gathered, a brother who's not with us anymore immediately said, told me to come along to the care meeting and the Lord is in his graciousness. He allowed me to learn things. I was older by sitting in the car meeting. But as you say, we are living in the 90s when people don't sit and just listen.
I believe there's a verse in Romans 14-1 That would substantiate the principle, and that is that the young or the weak and the faith should be received, but not to the determining of questions of reason.
Thank you for your help.
I used to tell children.
In school, they do not have a reservoir of experience that qualifies them to make the decision as to what's good for them educationally.
The same thing is true in the assembly. They must grow up in the assembly under the sound of the leadership of the assembly being subject to that leadership And then when the years, one of the qualifications are one of the characteristics of Mallory is to add experience with God. So I believe that there is wisdom and.
Letting the fruit ripen a bit before it's taken into the questions of doubt or settling issues that may.
Stumble them along the way. I have appreciated that passage in Deuteronomy Chapter One.
I believe it'd be well to read it.
And verse 15 of Deuteronomy chapter one. So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known and made them heads over your captains and so forth. That expression, wise men and known well wisdom takes experience. It's got to be backed up by experience. And that doesn't come suddenly. It takes a little time to gain experience.
The reason I raised the question about the bishops and the.
Deacons being drawn in at the very first of this epistle.
I wonder if perhaps the Apostle did not want to draw them into the exercise of this whole matter in connection with Philippians. Now we know that Philippians is normal Christianity. You can see that the Apostle is very free in his spirit.
Except there was a problem developing at Philippi and he presses.
In verse 27 of chapter one, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the face of the gospel.
And then we see in chapter 2.
He reaches out more to the conscience. It's Paul's style, isn't it?
Verse three, let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than self. Look not every man to his own things, their own qualities, but every man on the things of others, And then he gives them the perfect outstanding example in the Lord Jesus. But as we continue to read on, we see that the Apostle.
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Names the problem in chapter 4 this difficulty between these two and they were two that evidently were active in helping the apostle in faithfulness, in the gospel work, whatever it was. But I believe the apostle could see that this was affecting all the Saints. You know, where there's a root of bitterness. It says thereby many are defiled so he he could see.
A thing that could come in and cause serious problems in this assembly that was.
Going on, as we say in normal Christianity, otherwise peace free in his spirit.
But perhaps he wanted the mall to be exercised over this manner. In fact, he calls upon others to help within the assembly in verse three of chapter 4, so I wonder if that may have some bearing upon it.
I remember when I was first gathered there with me a few seconds with this thought that we had, the Lord provided a very good instructor in the assembly in China.
Our brother John W Bay there, and he made it his business to teach some of us younger brothers what the principles of the Word of God were.
I recall is sometimes we discuss something in the care meeting.
Talk about it.
To an agreement. And, he said Now, brethren, remember, it's only a recommendation.
The world is that we are the ones that are.
They're making the the decision, he said. No, the Assembly makes the decision.
And he goes through the what I thought was almost a ritual of getting up on the Lord's Day and making the recommendation of the brother's care meeting to the assembly.
And he emphasized to us that the authority did not lie with any that might function as as overseers in the assembly. I agree with what our brother Heinz has said and our brother Neil. I'm not disagreeing with that. But what I'm saying is that when it comes to a decision, it only becomes a decision when it's presented through the assembly. Some of us used to say to Mr. Begley, the same people are there on Wednesday morning.
Ah, but he says it's the year gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what gives a thought to the act of the assembly.
I'm glad for that. Would not the correct procedure be that the responsible brothers look into the details of the case? Some of them could be.
Details that would not be proper for a young believer to be involved in. And then they come to their conclusion. They present that conclusion to the assembly as a recommendation, with the scriptures backing up why they recommend it, and then they wait a week.
So that the assembly, if there are any objections, the sisters can't speak. You know that they can make their objections known. And then the next week, in the absence of any objections, the assembly would take the action. That to me is the way it should be done. But I'm sorry, I just have to say it's not the way it's often done. And I think what Paul could have decided the case, it was a very clear cut, blatant case of sin in First Corinthians 5. But he didn't.
He said. Put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
He sought to get the assembly conscience exercised as to it. Otherwise the assembly just sets back and says yes, the brothers are going to make that decision and whatever they decide, we don't have any part in that. Well, that's not, that's not an assembly decision. And there are groups of brethren that have an elderhood and they make those decisions and that's it. And the assembly doesn't have any say in it, and that's not an assembly decision.
It's the decision of the pastor or the elders or whatever. But that's what Paul was seeking to do in 1St and 2nd Corinthians, to exercise the conscience of the assembly. They don't look into all the nasty details of the case. It's older responsible brothers that do that. But once the recommendation and the scriptural basis for that recommendation, unless they know. Unless someone that composes the assembly knows something that these elders didn't know.
00:45:24
And can bring that to bear upon the case that might materially change the decision which gives them give them a week to bring that up. If in the absence of any objections then they can go ahead and the assembly could make the decision. But as you point out, **** very important point. In fact we had this before us at the Montreal readings too Same point. It's the assembly that makes the decision, not the brothers meeting. Brothers meeting has no authority to make an assembly decision.
But if there are objections raised.
I remember that Brother Armstead Barry answered that question in Chicago years ago, not long after we were gathered. Somebody said, what if there are objections raised? He says those in responsibility have to judge whether these objections are valid or not. That does not mean that anytime an objection is raised that that does not allow an action to take place.
The responsible brothers have the authority to judge whether the objections are valid or not, and they might well, when the action is carried, say objections were raised and give the reasons why these objections are not valid.
Doesn't that come under the having confidence in the elders or the older ones that have sought to have heard these cases, isn't it? Doesn't it mean that I have confidence when they when it's brought to the assembly and I have confidence that what they have searched out is true. So I have that confidence in them like you know, some of the recent problems we've had, they they did not believe what was found out well.
Lack of confidence.
May say this in connection with your comment to me, Brother ****. And I think it's important that scripture says that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established, and the facts are established in the mouth of the witnesses, not in the ears of the assembly. It is the testimony of the two or three witnesses that you say, Brother Heinz, that establishes, and they're considered scripturally whether the two or three witnesses are valid witnesses. It's not in the years of the assembly and my conscience doesn't need to say anything in order to be an exercise.
What my conscience needs to do is it needs to be an exercise before the Lord and to join itself with the recommendation of the.
Overseers. And so if I have a difficulty when I'm in a bad state of soul, I look lightly on evil, or so on, and I may be willing to pass over evil and so on. It's a reflection of my own state of conscience, not necessarily the recommendation that's put before me. And I may be in such a bad state of soil. I may separate myself from what is really a right decision of the Assembly. I just say that. And I say that in connection with the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, because he says the judgment which was inflicted of the many.
Is that that's not a criteria for a dissembly decision, but it's the reason why the discipline was effective in connection with that man in First Corinthians 5. He was put out from among yourselves that wicked person, and the man was put out, so to speak. He had nowhere to turn to, he didn't get support from other places, and so on. And so therefore God was able to put him at the assembly, put him in a place where that work could be done in his soul without the support and encouragement of others.
In judgment was inflicted of the many or the body at large. Some have said Mr. Darby's translated but the point is it's the reason why it was effective not a criteria for the assembly decision. And so we can actually hinder a work of God, because the man is put out by the assembly delivers such an one on to Satan. Satan is the one who's to do the work for the destruction of the flesh. That's what's to be done and the result is that the spirit may be saved.
That's the desired result, and the reason that that was effective was because.
That the many joined their conscience in what was put before them. But I may be of adult conscience and not really join with the assembly in the matter. And I think that that's why it's important that it is a decision of the Assembly. It's not just something that's dictated, but that's not to somehow lay the blame on the overseers. But it's to really exercise my conscience. And my conscience doesn't need to speak in order to, in order to or have something to say in order to be exercised.
00:50:32
God.
Isn't it true that there have been occasions where?
Men in the name of being overseers or leaders among the people of God.
Have taken decisions for others and have swept.
Hundreds of assemblies.
Off the ground of truth.
I think we have to bear that in mind. I think there's a balance in scripture between legitimate leadership and.
You might say.
Overriding the conscience of the assembly and not even acknowledging that there is such a thing and I I think that's an important thing to keep in mind. We spend a lot of time on this point, but I think probably it needed spending time on because we don't understand it very well. But I think something that I said earlier is very, very important that is that these things have to do.
With the house accident, not with the body aspect. That's what you said in the United States, yes. And brethren, we have to recognize that we must not insist on a certain formula at all times. Let me explain what I mean to say if the responsible element in the assembly goes in oversight.
Establish the fact.
That somebody is guilty of fornication or adultery. How can anybody have any objections to having that person removed?
You know, we have not, in such cases, proposed an action to the assembly. We made an announcement and established this fact. We didn't give details, but we would say that this person is guilty of fornication of adultery and therefore has to be removed. But there are cases, I believe, where these matters are not that clear and where we do well not to ignore the consciences.
Of others. But this is not just in matters of discipline. These are other matters where unfortunately, sometimes we ignore the consciences of our brethren, you know, and that might well lead to further unhappiness and.
Disturbances amongst the Saints, and it doesn't mean how many of them might have consciences exercised about a certain thing.
We tend to ignore when somebody doesn't agree with our exercises and justice go on, and perhaps we contribute towards a state of unhappiness amongst the Saints of God. We are individuals and there are individual consciences involved, and we do well to weigh their exercises, you know, and to just ignore them and railroad over them.
Is not according to God.
I fully agree with what you just said. I want to make this comment though The Corinthians were in such a state that he has to say to them, ye have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed should be taken away from among you. They were just babes in a way. They hadn't confronted this kind of a case before and in the religion that they had practiced as pagans.
This was common stuff that happened and never was looked upon as evil.
Paul had to bring their conscience into exercise before God that this is an awful evil. You once tolerated it when you were in paganism. You're a Christian now. This has to be dealt with and judged. And so he brings the conscience of the assembly to that point where that's that's what a true leader does. A true leader doesn't decide for the assembly, but brings the conscience of the assembly into exercise so it can make a scriptural decision.
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And deal with the evil and look upon it as evil.
If someone gets put away, and I don't think he should have because I don't see the evil of it.
I have to be. I have to be taught, don't I? I have to be instructed. This is evil. This is sin.
We're living in a day when there's all kinds of things going on in Christian circles that are terribly wicked and they're tolerated. Christians even don't even seem to know that it's evil. And I mean it's it's sad that you have to say something like that, but that's that's where we are and.
Fornication is evil and has to be dealt with. It cannot be tolerated. The world just looks at it as common thing and we we can have our thinking adjusted to that that line. I mean, that's absolutely wrong, isn't it?
It's been pointed up that not only in matters of discipline and we seem to get.
On to that but.
In a matter of reception.
Or other matters that require discernment.
For instance, an individual may well be recommended by some who know the brother and have had experience with him or sister.
But the spirit of God in the midst of the assembly as well inhabits the assembly, and he is there to give discernment. And some spiritual soul may have difficulty and not really know anything exactly wrong, but just be uncomfortable about it. So there should be waiting upon God as to what may be the problem. I know of one case where a brother was recommended to the assembly in good faith and one of the.
Weaker brothers, you might say, just said I have some uncomfortable feeling about this before the next large day the man was arrested, and nobody knew that he was involved in that. So the Spirit of God is there to guide and to lead us into the mind of Christ, To act for Christ, and Christ gives authority for that action.
And remember its local responsibility. And if we do not judge the idea of involving other assembly in what is a local disciplinary matter, this problem is going to continue to cause problems among the gathered Saints. There is the possibility of the truth of the body of Christ coming in. That is that a teacher or?
Several brothers might help a local assembly to clearly see what their responsibility is, but under no circumstances can another assembly take over the administrative responsibility of an assembly other than their own. And I trust this principle will be totally judged among us, because if it isn't.
It will cause further problem. Only the judgement of another assembly will justify our conscience, was a statement made.
But this kind of a thing is unscriptural, beloved brethren. But I trust we will always be open for ministry, and that those who have the exercise of gift and responsibility to speak to us, that we give that opportunity. You know that would not be according to the truth of God if we would not allow any brother or sister who has exercises to voice them to us.
Even a sister, Yes, a sister might have exercises and has to be given an ear. Can I ask a question? We often speak of the conscience of the assembly as if such a thing exists. Is there anything other than an individual conscience?
Could you say that louder? You know, we often speak of the conscience of the assembly as if there was such a thing. But.
Matthew 18 and 20 speak about two or three being agreed, but his conscience not an individual thing.
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And so my burden to my question, as we speak about the conscience of the assembly, as if there was such a thing, It seems to me what we read in Matthew 18 and 20 is that when there's two or three agreed as touching something, that it will be done for them and my Father in heaven. But.
Do what we often call the conscience of the Assembly. May be perhaps the state of the Assembly that is general lack of individual exercise, but it's individually that we have to be exercised and join my conscience to the action of an Assembly. I put it as a question I.
You just use this term as if it was something that we saw in the word of God. Well, the seven churches in Revelation 2 and three, the Lord addresses the Angel of the church at Ephesus and Smyrna and so on. And the Angel represents the responsibility of the assembly. If you want to say the conscience of the assembly, the Angel represents that element and he's addressing those there who are responsible.
They are to hear what the Spirit saith to the church is. So he's addressing the Angel, but it says to the churches the Spirit is speaking to the churches, so the church has a responsibility and a conscience collectively.
I have no trouble with that to deal with the evil. Otherwise, if it's just an individual, if conscience is simply individual, then then how is the assembly going to collectively act and putting out evil?
Doesn't 2nd Corinthians 7?
Verses 11.
Verse 11 Doesn't that suggest?
May not use the word conscience, but suggested there's a corporate reaction and I think that's what we mean when we say the conscience of the assembly. I've just mentioned a case that I know about that occurred in another country where.
There was a case that.
The brothers took up and said.
Brothers ascertained the facts and they said these facts are not.
Suitable to be brought before the assembly. And they were right, they were not. But they didn't even name the sin.
They just said so and so has to be put away.
Where was the what? The grieving and the?
Diligence on the part of the assembly not there at all. And so even though I believe as it was done, the Lord, the Lord.
Vindicated the judgment that was pronounced.
The Lord allowed that another case came up right afterwards because they hadn't gotten to the root of it as a company, and I think 2nd Corinthians 7 neolith, if I'm not mistaken. And verse 11 gives us the nearest thing to a thought of a conscience, of an assembly. Doesn't use that word, but it sure shows that there was a corporate reaction to what was what had gone on. I believe also that the expression that has been already brought before us of the many.
Would include a corporate action of a collective conscience working.
And it is never sufficient when the person that is guilty of sin sits back voluntarily, as if this clears the assembly. Never.
The assembly has to take action. They have to make an announcement. This was one of the things that happened in.
Mozambique, the first matter of discipline there that.
Occurred. They thought that it was sufficient that the person that had sinned was voluntarily sitting back, and we wrote to them and tried to exercise them using the scripture their deck was referring to in 2nd Corinthians 7 to show them that they had to clear themselves of this matter. The name of the Lord needs to be cleared. It is never sufficient to say the person is sitting back.
And as if this clearing the assembly no the name of the Lord needs to be cleared and the name of the assembly.
Doesn't the case if they can show that too? What does the Lord say? Akan has sinned?
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Now Israel that said.
I say that's the Lord lays on the conscience of Israel that sins.
I should say those Pleren accepted that correction. You know, they were ready to see that that was their responsibility.
That was just a case of ignorance and they needed. That's right.
How sin isn't mentioned in this epistle, Is it? No.
Interesting point.
There's there was a little difference. We read through this epistle. There was some little difference between sisters, apparently, But in every chapter we get joy or rejoicing, and I think that's a lovely thing to think of. Paul was commending them here, he says in verse three. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Always in every prayer of mind for you all making requests with joy.
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident. So he had a confidence in these Philippians, didn't he? And I think it's beautiful just to rise above our thoughts here. I'm sure it's been very profitable, but just to see that in this little epistle, sin really isn't mentioned.
But there was a little difference. I don't think conflict itself was mentioned either. But there is a little difference between the sisters here. And Paul calls attention to that, that there might be that joy going on together. And is there not a difference? In each one of us? We all have different thoughts, different views. God brings us together in such a way that I can look up to the Lord and get grace. More grace, as he says here, Grace unto you and peace from God our Father. You can get it.
As we bring this together, we find that even though there may be little conflicts, there may be little.
Differences. There's a real joy in going on for the Lord. There's two verses that come to mind in connection with your remarks that brother says in the Second Corinthians chapter one and the end of the chapter, the apostle says. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet on the current, not that we have dominion over your faith, but our helpers of your joy.
Or by faith ye stand. And so faith would want to be dependent on God, but also obedient to his word. And that's the combination that brings to joy. Not that we have dominion over your faith. And that's what I discern as our brethren have been speaking, that I don't have the right to to take and influence my brother's conscience except by the word of God. But it once comes to having dominion over their faith. It says by faith you stand. And that's.
Individual, isn't it?
What was his confidence? Very interesting here in verse 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which had begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. That will be the day of manifestation. God is going to complete that work. There may be a little difference. Now. There may be a little bit of a variation of things and thought.
But God is going to complete that. He's going to bring it all together, isn't he?
But the reason why Paul, I think we get was confident of this in the Philippians is we find in the seventh person. I'll read the marginal reading in the King James, even as it is meat for righteous of me to think this of you all. Because you have me in your heart in as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You are all partakers of my grace. It wasn't that Paul had them on his heart, that was the source of his confidence, but the fact that they had pull in their hearts.
And that they were going to go on with Paul and faithfulness. That he was confident that God would finish the work that he'd started and.
We're 22 working.
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22 in the back of the door.
Go away.