IN the absolute sense of the word the only foundation is Christ Himself. We hive seen how He declared that He would build His church on the rock of the confession of His Person as the Son of the living God. Again we are told, " Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST." (1 Cor. 3:11And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:1).) But in a secondary sense, in the administration of the introduction- and progress of Christianity, we find Scripture declaring, " Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNER STONE." (Eph. 2:19, 2019Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:19‑20)) It is good in this verse to see how jealous the Spirit of God is lest we should get our eye off Christ, and think only of the apostles and prophets. The apostles and prophets were but intermediaries, that is, they acted on behalf of the Lord and in His power. So we find the Spirit of God carefully adding the words: " JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNER STONE."
In Roman Catholic circles we have the sad spectacle of a big virgin and a little Christ. In some quarters, and where least expected, we have the sad spectacle of a big church and a little Christ. A brother in the Lord, well known to the writer, told him how utterly astounded he was when a man, professing to be an advanced Christian, shocked him by saying that the day would come when Christ would stand to one side to allow His church to be displayed. He requested this man to repeat what he said that he might make no mistake. He repeated the same words, blasphemous in their daring, and misconception of the truth of the Scripture, When this tendency sets in you will get a self-satisfied people professing to be the
church of God, but in reality only a hollow, lifeless shell.
We find this startlingly exemplified in the Laodicean church. (Rev. 3:14-2214And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:14‑22)). There we find what professes to be a church, and-CHRIST OUTSIDE. It is pathetic beyond words to see the Lord outside, knocking at the hearts of these professors, calling even for a: single individual to open the door, and give Him entrance.
Could complacency go further than that found in this Laodicean assembly, claiming to be rich, and increased with goods, and having need of nothing? But what was the real truth as to their condition? The blessed One, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, His eyes as a flame of fire, told them they were wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. How devastating was His denunciation!
Satan is very seductive, and we need to be on our guard against his devices. It is not for nothing that he transforms himself into " an angel of light." (2 Cor. 2:1414Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14).) If we are so foolish as to imagine that we are not in need of such a warning, we stand in danger of being ensnared. There is ever a tendency to exalt ourselves. If it be at the expense of our blessed Lord, we shall find we are nothing and have nothing apart from Him.
Christ is the chief corner stone, and gives character, to the whole building. The size and style of the corner stone will indicate what kind of building is to be erected'. What a church this must be that takes its character from the Son of God! The heart warms at the wonder of this, past our feeble comprehension.
The Greek word, akrogoniaios, translated chief corner stone, means a corner FOUNDATION stone, also at the extreme angle. (Liddell and Scott.) The former meaning expresses the thought of the church being God's masterpiece, taking its character from Christ as the chief corner stone, and that this glorious foundation stone was laid in the unutterable, atoning sufferings of our Lord at Calvary's cross..
The chief corner stone unites two walls at an extreme angle. We know what an acute angle, as it were, existed between Jew and Gentile. The exclusive Jew despised: the outside Gentile. The Gentile nothing loth returned the bitter feeling in full. There is no feud so deadly as that of a religious character. We have seen a wave of antisemitism sweeping over Europe. Gentiles murdering Jews by the hundreds of thousands, nay, by millions. Never in the history of the world have these divergent peoples been brought into harmony till the church of God came into existence. It is to the glory of God that these warring elements have been fused, and brought together in happy fellowship. Only as Jew and Gentile come under the power of the cross of Calvary are their prejudices melted. The following Scripture shows how this truth is emphasized: " But now in Christ Jesus ye [Gentiles] who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace [Jew and Gentile], who hath made both one [Jew and Gentile], and HATH BROKEN DOWN THE MIDDLE WALL OF PARTITION between us [Jew and Gentile]; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man [Jew and Gentile in new creation], so making peace: and that He might reconcile both [Jew and Gentile] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off [Gentiles], and to them that were nigh [Jews.] For through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Eph. 2:13-1813But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:13‑18).) We see in this striking passage how very definitely Jew and Gentile are blended together in one body IN CHRIST. There: is a need that Christians should study this passage carefully. We may say that it concerns Jew and Gentile only but there is a principle in this that can be applied to-day. The writer has had the privilege of visiting Christians in several, foreign lands. He found the tendency to look at the assemblies in their own country as a separate entity, and found them asking the question; Why need we trouble as to what obtains in the way of Christian fellowship in other lands outside of our own? The writer felt deeply that the only way of counteracting this tendency is to pay attention to the teaching we have just been considering: We need to have engraved on our hearts the truth that there is one body and one Spirit and one hope of our calling. The church of God is one wherever Christians are found, whatever their nationality, language, social position, or color of skin may be.
The only other occasion where the Greek word, akrogoniaios, chief corner stone, is found in Scripture occurs in 1 Peter 2:5,65Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:5‑6). The Apostle Peter is thus found in perfect harmony with the Apostle Paul. We read, " To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone [Greek akrogoniaios], elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." But God is pleased to use instruments. He used apostles and prophets in a special way at the start of Christianity. The church is founded on the apostles and prophets, " Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief corner stone." See how God used Peter on the great Day of Pentecost, opening to the Jew the door into the church of God, three thousand souls being converted on one day. (Acts 2:4141Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41).) He likewise, opened the door to the Gentiles when he preached to Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, and his friends. (Acts 10 and 11) Then we find Paul, commissioned by God as the Apostle to the Gentiles, preaching in pagan lands, and assemblies springing up as the fruit of his labors.
We must remember the ministry in those early days was very largely oral. The great church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, were not written till Paul was a prisoner at Rome near the very end of his strenuous life with martyrdom lying before him. The instruction of these epistles must, however, have been taught orally before they were written. True, there was the Old Testament, but even that would be rarely, if ever, possessed by Christians, for printing was unknown in those days, and manuscript copies would be rare and very expensive.
Scripture warrants us in believing that ministry at first would be largely oral. We read in Eph. 3:4,54Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (Ephesians 3:4‑5), that the mystery, unknown in past ages, was revealed to the apostles and prophets, surely for the purpose that they should pass on the revelation to the saints. We must remember these " prophets " were New Testament prophets, and linked up specially with the apostles as the foundation of the church. Once that foundation was laid the apostles and prophets passed away. They completed their task in laying the foundation.
Another Scripture throws light upon the service of the prophets. We read: " Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." (1 Cor. 14: 29-31.) There it is plain that whilst there was opportunity for all to prophesy, yet there were occasions when the prophet had a divine revelation to communicate orally to the brethren. When this happened, such a communication was not to be delayed, so much so that if another was speaking at the time, he was to hold his peace. There must have been some distinct sign that marked the giving of such a revelation by the Spirit.
Another Scripture shows clearly how the truth was largely ministered orally in the early days of the church. Paul wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith: " And the things that thou hast HEARD of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. 2:22And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2).) “Many witnesses” could check the accuracy of Timothy's memory. It is said that in those days of more natural living, before printing was relied upon for information, and the mind was not burdened with the details of modern life, memory was much more reliable and acute. If the teaching of the Christian faith was largely oral, one can imagine what close attention the divine communications would command. Timothy having heard the wonderful ministry of the Apostle Paul was to use diligence to hand this on to faithful men for the purpose that they might teach others. A veritable chain of oral ministry. When the Day of Pentecost arrived not a single line of the New Testament had been written, yet the three thousands converts of that day " Continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers." (Acts 2:4242And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42).) It is plain that if not a line of New Testament Scripture had been written at the time of their conversion, their instruction must have been oral.
Thank God we have the completed New Testament in our hands. Therein we have delineated for us the life of lives in the four gospels. In the epistles we have unfolded to us the doctrinal meaning of the death of our Lord on the cross, the blessings of the gospel that come to the believer, the intent for which believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, their relation to Christ in glory as the Head of His church, their conduct as strangers and pilgrims in this world, the prophecies as to the future and the glorious hope of the Lord's return for His saints to rapture them to heavenly glory.
The invention of printing by metal type has greatly favored the spread of all this wonderful revelation of God's great plan for His glory, the exaltation of Christ and the blessing of His people. It is interesting that the invention of printing by metal type occurred just when the light of the Reformation, at the time of Wycliffe in England and Luther in Germany, began to break forth. The printing of the whole Bible, often at the risk of martyrdom on the part of the translator, was the prelude to a blessed outburst of God's work in souls. It seemed as if the invention was discovered purposely for the multiplication of the Scriptures.