IN our last we were dwelling upon the blessed and remarkable work of the Spirit of God at Antioch (Acts 11). From this point of the narrative the Jewish character of the Assembly ceases; Jerusalem becomes less prominent.
It was at Antioch, indeed, that the disciples were first called Christians. This name may have been given to them in derision by the world; but two things are clear — first, the disciples must have had much of Christ about them to have earned the name the world gave them; and secondly, the Holy Spirit accepts this name, the only name ever given by God to His saints of this dispensation (1 Peter 4:1616Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. (1 Peter 4:16)). Never do we find in Scripture such names as Baptist, Congregationalist, Wesleyan, or Calvinist. Why then Assume any other name than that which God has given us?
It has been said, and truly said, that the day of Pentecost was the birthday of the Church. When Christ was on earth the Church had not yet been formed. The earliest mention of the Church is the well-known passage in Matthew 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18), where the Lord, acknowledging Peter’s magnificent testimony to His Person— “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” —replies, “Upon this rock I will build My Church.”
Old Testament saints, then, do not form part of the Church. The Church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22, 2322And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23)), and not until the day of Pentecost was this body formed. During the wonderful interval between the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus, the risen Christ announced to His disciples that “ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:55For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:5)). Up till that memorable day, the disciples, though they may have had many interests in common, were nevertheless units separate the one from the other, but on and after Pentecost they became united to Christ their Head in heaven, and to one another on earth. Let 1 Corinthians 12. be carefully studied, and the importance of this truth will become apparent. It is not, however, our present purpose to enlarge upon the scriptural doctrine of the Church in its various aspects of the Body and the House. It is rather the practical details connected with the gathering together of the saints in the present dispensation that we would seek to bring before our readers.
About seventy years ago God revived many important truths that had been almost entirely lost by His people in as far as any practical enjoyment thereof was concerned. The thirty-four large volumes, entitled “The Collected Writings of the late J. N. Darby,” contain a vast amount of most helpful information on these matters, and go to prove that God was not only restoring to the Church the long-forgotten truths of the coming of the Lord as the true and proper hope of the Church, and also the personality and presence of the Holy Ghost, but they also show that these very truths were resisted and refused by the large bulk of Christians.
Of late years almost every intelligent Christian has come to accept as scriptural the teaching which at first met with such virulent opposition. There is of course room for much further spreading of these truths, and also for much clearer understanding of them; and we cannot forget the solemn words of the Lord Jesus Christ, that “if any man will do His wilt, he shall know of the doctrine,” &c. (John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)). God will not give clear light to any of His people who will not act according to the light He gives, “he that hath to him shall be given” (Mark 4:2525For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. (Mark 4:25)). But notwithstanding this, Christians everywhere are beginning to accept the teaching as to the coming of the Lord that met with such hostility seventy years ago. That it might have its practical effect upon them and upon all of us, should be our earnest prayer.
The same may be said as to the truth of the personality and presence of the Holy Ghost. At that time few saw that the Holy Ghost was more than a divine influence for good. Now large numbers of Christians are learning that what was taught seventy years ago with regard to the Spirit, and only accepted by a few, is really the teaching of Scripture. There is still much ignorance, sometimes even much wilfulness, and not a little false doctrine, but that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, and not a mere influence, is becoming largely accepted. For this we can thank God, while we should earnestly seek a walk in accordance with this great and all-important truth.
But while large numbers of earnest Christians are making much of the Spirit as indwelling the individual, and as power for service and testimony of the individual saint, they seem utterly to ignore His presence and action in the Assembly. It is to this side of the truth that we feel led to direct the reader’s attention. The present movement in Wales is calling attention to this aspect of the truth, and for this reason we feel it important to examine Scripture upon this point, so that we may be in more complete accord with the revealed mind of God, in more thorough subjection to His Word, and thus be saved from many of the serious dangers which we fear are threatening the unestablished saints of God in that land and elsewhere.
We would now turn to 1 Corinthians 12, and seek help from God as we study this much neglected portion of His Word. At verse 17 of the previous chapter commences the practical instruction connected with the coming together of the people of God in assembly. The prime object of all was to “show the Lord’s death till He come.” To take the Lord’s Supper together is the bounden duty and holy privilege of every Christian. It is a sorrowful consideration that so few ever do so in the way and manner laid down in the Word of God.
The early Christians partook of that holy feast together every first day of the week (Acts 20:77And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7)). They assembled for the purpose without any minister or president over them; they assembled as members of one body, and not as members of different bodies. The Lord’s presence at His own table was recognized by them, and the liberty of the Spirit to use whom He would to break the bread or lead the whole Assembly in worship or prayer.
Christians have for long so lost sight of the truth of the presence of the Holy Ghost that they think that strange which to the early Christians was the invariable practice. The clerical idea has so taken hold of Christendom that the free action of the Spirit in the Assembly seems a strange and dangerous practice.
We do not make light of the individual responsibility of the servant of the Lord to exercise whatever gift he may possess, whether in the gospel to the world or as a teacher in the Assembly. What we plead for is a more simple faith in the presence of the Holy Ghost and His unfettered action in the Assembly of God’s people when gathered together.
At the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost descended upon the company of the disciples gathered together with one accord in the upper chamber at Jerusalem. Two things followed; “all the house” where they were sitting was filled with His presence, and each one of them individually was filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Spirit is present in the Assembly as well as indwelling each individual Christian. This is clearly seen in many scenes described in the Acts. Let two instances suffice. When Ananias brought part of the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles, Peter said, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” (Acts 5:33But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? (Acts 5:3)). And again: “Thou halt not lied unto men, but unto God.” God the Holy Ghost was present in the Church, and not only in the individuals composing it. Further, when the Church at Antioch was assembled together, “the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:22As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2)). There were several teachers present; the one man ministry had not then been instituted. Human arrangements and the control of the clergy have their origin in man’s will, whereas what God originally instituted was the guidance of the Holy Ghost and liberty of the Spirit to act by whom He would. Where such liberty is experienced in power, an unbeliever present would fall down and worship God reporting that “God is among (not in) you of a truth” (1 Cor. 14:2525And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (1 Corinthians 14:25)).
(To be continued.)