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Excerpt- Many quotations from recent writers in some of the foremost and deservedly valued Christian periodicals, could be given in proof of the fact that there is a growing tendency even amongst those who profess to be zealous for the truth to ignore or set aside one or other of the two aspects of the church, represented by the “House” and the “Body”. But in the present paper it has been thought wiser to avoid all appearance of controversy, and to keep simply to the truth as given in the Scriptures, to which every sincere believer must perforce appeal. The writers referred to, beloved for their works’ sake, must stand or fall to their own master. Each and all can, if they will, compare this present paper with their own; and whatever their matured thoughts may be, it is confidently believed they will lose nothing by so doing. May our common Lord and Master add His blessing.
It surely behoves those who care for Christ’s glory (because they have “tasted that the Lord is gracious”) to look afresh into the Scriptures in order that their souls may be established in the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 2).
W. J. Lowe, New York, August, 1904
{The reader is exhorted to turn up the Scripture references.}
The ‘Church of the Living God’ is presented in two distinct ways in the New Testament, namely, as ‘House of God’ and as ‘the Body of Christ’. With the former is connected every matter of practical holiness and behaviour (Ps. 93:5; 1 Tim. 3:15); with the latter, that special character of God’s ways in grace during the present interval, and consequently, all that concerns the spiritual progress and final perfection of those who are soon to ‘bear the image of the heavenly’, and who are now expected to be found waiting, and ‘ready’ for their Lord’s return (Eph. 4:8-16; 1 Cor. 15:48-49; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:1-4; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:31-40).
The ‘House’ and its character depends upon what God is, Who deigns to dwell therein, and has said, ‘Be ye holy, for I am holy’ (1 Peter 1:13-16).
The ‘Body’ is the complement of the glorified Son of Man, ‘the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.’ (Eph. 1:19-23; Eph. 3:2-12) The unfolding of this ‘mystery’ was specially committed to the Apostle Paul, who had been called to see the Lord Jesus in glory (1 Cor. 15:8; Acts 9:3-6; Eph. 1:22-23).
The mystery of the Body of Christ could not be properly made known until the ‘Head’ was glorified in heaven, after having accomplished His work of redemption (Heb. 1:3). It was, says the apostle, a mystery hidden during the past ages (Eph. 3:5-6; Rom. 16:25), only to be revealed when the full expression of His love for the church has been given at the cross (John 15:13; Eph. 5:25). There is, however, a faint indication of it in Genesis 2, before the fall of Adam, which sets forth figuratively some of the fundamental truths on which it is based. The passage is referred to and partly quoted by the apostle in Ephesians 5:30-31, as indeed previously in the gospels, for another reason, by the blessed Lord Himself, referring to the relation established by God between a man and his wife (Matt. 19:4-5; Mark 10:7-8). The apostle adds, however, ‘This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.’