Never were words more needed than the above — at this present time. When on the one hand the claims of a clergy to be exclusively heard meet us, and on the other hand man’s will runs rampant, and anybody and everybody claims to be heard; it is well to get away for a while from the Babel of tongues heard in Christendom, and take our seat at the feet of Jesus, and listen to what He would say to us as to the course we should take in the midst of it all, so as to be able to discern His voice and His messengers, from the voice of a stranger. At His feet once, His own dear disciples were warned,
Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matt. 16:6).
In Mark, He adds,
The leaven of Herod (Mark. 8:15).
This leaven is explained to be the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The Pharisees may be said to have been the exponents of correct Jewish Ritualism, which was in truth a religion composed of rites and ceremonies ordained of God, till the heavenly things themselves came in, of which the former were a type. The Pharisees, said the Lord, sit in Moses’ seat (Matt. 23:2). They claimed to be the correct exponents of Moses’ law, adding, however, to it a number of their own traditions, and so (as the Lord said) making the Word of God of none effect by their tradition. (See Mark 7:9-13.) The Sadducees, on the other hand, denied resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). The Herodians were the followers of a Gentile worldly king who reigned in the land. Here we have, I have no doubt, the three principles at work in the present day. On the one side, we have a clergy claiming direct descent from the apostles, and standing up for what they call the correct idea of the Church, possessing apostolic succession, clergy and sacraments; at the same time, adding a multitude of traditions and rules to be observed, which practically take the place of, and set aside God’s Word. On the other, we are surrounded by a Rationalism which would take just as much of the Word of God as it likes, and make it bow to human reason. And in the third place, we have worldliness running rampant, a letting Pharisees and Sadducees settle their own disputes, and men giving themselves up to worldly grandeur, ease and luxury. Alas, also, amongst the narrower circle of the real people of God, we are sensible too of men arising, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:30). In the midst of it all, we have the Lord also speaking, by His own messengers, sent by Himself. How blessed to learn at His feet whom and what we are to hear! From Him, and from Him alone, can we learn how to make our way amid this Babel of tongues.
If we turn to the Word of God, we find two kinds of ministry in the Church of God, namely, “Gift” and “Office.” I quote two scriptures to make this plain.
When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, . . . And He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:8, 11).
Now, here we find that the gifts of ministry have their Source in an ascended Christ; who, after He was exalted on high, sent down the Holy Ghost, and believers were all baptized into one body. The gifts were for the edifying of that body till it grew up into a perfect man when Christ came again. Thus the gifts of ministry, composed of evangelists, pastors and teachers, (for the apostles and prophets were the foundations,) were to continue for the edifying of the Church till Christ came.
On the other hand, there were the offices of bishop and deacon, mentioned in Timothy and Titus.
This is a faithful saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work (1 Tim. 3:1).
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree (1 Tim. 3:13).
These were appointed by apostles (Acts 14:23), or by Titus and Timothy, who were sent out by the apostles to do this work. (See Titus 1:5, 7.) The bishops and elders were one and the same (Acts 20:17, 28). Thus the gifts went out direct from Christ, the Head of His body, and were to continue to the end. The official elders and deacons were appointed by apostles or their delegates, ordinarily accompanied by the laying on of hands. The clergy claim their title to be exclusively heard from the latter position. They claim, (at least the Episcopalians,) to have a direct descent from the apostles; that the line descended from Paul or Peter through Timothy and Titus, who sent out others, and so on, the right of appointing elders and deacons being vested in the present bishop. Well, supposing we allow them their claim, let us now look into the Word of God, and see with which order of ministers the truth of God remains.
We turn to the epistle to the Galatians, and what do we find there? An apostle speaks, who claims to be an apostle not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:1). He holds his commission as sent out from a glorified Christ, who had died out of the world, and had been raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. And this too in opposition to Judaizing teachers who were claiming connection with the twelve apostles at Jerusalem, and by it, pressing the law of Moses as binding on the Christians. On whose side was the truth? On the side of the minister who claimed to be not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, the glorified Man and Son of God: and what does he insist on? Why, that justification was by faith, without the deeds of the law; that Abraham’s example proved it (Gal. 3:6, 7). That the law did not come in till 430 years after the promise of Christ made to Abraham, and that it could not annul this promise (ver. 17). It was not given for that purpose. It could give neither life nor righteousness, but only the knowledge of sin (ver. 21, 22). It was thus only a schoolmaster till Christ came, and then came the dispensation of faith setting it aside (ver. 23, 25). We are sons of God by faith in Christ, adopted out of the family of Adam, into the family of God; besides God had sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, Abba Father (Gal. 4:4-6). Thus, justification, life, sonship and the seal of the Spirit are all shown to be received by grace through faith. The Christians (Gal. 5) were exhorted to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free, walking by faith, and being led of the Spirit (Gal. 5:5, 6, 16). If they did so they were not under the law. Thus he insists on the blessed truths of justification by faith, life in Christ, adoption, and the seal of the Spirit, as well as a walk by faith, and in the Spirit (Gal. chapters 3, 4, 5), against the claims of these Judaizing teachers; and thus links all the blessed foundation truths we have in Christianity with a ministry that is not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ.
We turn now to the Epistle to the Ephesians, and there we have all the counsels of God unveiled to us in regard to Christ, the Second Man, and our place in Him; 1st, as members of the family of God; 2ndly, as the body of Christ; and 3rdly, as the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 1, 2). The Christians were to walk worthy of that vocation (Eph. 4:l), and were to be strengthened in their walk, by the supply of gifts from the Head, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (4:11). Here again we have the blessed fact of the highest truths ever unveiled to man, connected for their maintenance with a ministry not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, for the gifts came direct from Him. And let me ask any candid reader whether this is not a fact in the present day, that the highest truths of God revealed in His Word are kept and held dear amongst the people that own such a ministry, who receive all the gifts Christ the Head sends, and who refuse to bear the assumptions of a man-ordained clergy, who although they claim descent from the apostles, cannot find any scripture to establish their claim.
This at once clears the ground from numbers who would claim us to go and hear them. We have seen that all the most blessed truths of Christianity as to justification, life in Christ, the presence of the Holy Ghost, and our position as members of the body of Christ, with the walk resulting therefrom, are connected with the gifts of ministry and not with the offices. In the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, the great subject treated of is the order and government of the house of God. The offices of elders and deacons are connected with this; the position which the clergy claim. But the highest truths brought out in these Epistles, are those of salvation having its Source in a Saviour-God (1 Tim. 1:1), and acting through one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:3-6), and applied by the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:4-7). Thus the order and government of the Church are founded on grace and flow from God as its source. There was no house of God, no church but for this. Elders and deacons, were not channels for this grace to flow down, but for the maintenance of order in the Church in regard to its government. Thus the clergy, in taking the position of elders and deacons, are totally wrong in making themselves the channels of grace to the people, for these officials were not appointed for this at all, but for order and government in the Church, which indeed the clergy are always talking about, and which is necessary, but not in any way to be substituted for the foundation truths of Christianity.
We will turn back now for a moment to the Epistle to the Galatians (ch. 1:6, 7). There the Christians are warned against the teachers who would press upon them any other gospel than that which Paul preached. If a preacher were to press the law as binding on Christians, either for justification, deliverance from the power of sin, or walk, it is not the gospel of Paul, and the man who preached it was accursed. Let him come with what claims he likes, he is anathema. (Cp. ch. 1:8, 9, with 3:11, 21, 22; 5:5, 6, 16, 18.) Surely the Saviour’s word,
Take heed what you hear {Mark 4:24},
would come in here!
Again (Rom. 16:17), we are to beware of those that cause divisions and contentions contrary to the doctrine we have learnt, and avoid them. What was the doctrine? Why, the good old doctrine that Jew and Gentile were all under sin, but that now the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus dead, risen and glorified was declared for their justification, and that apart from law (Rom. 3:9, 21, 22). That on their reception of Him by faith they were justified from all their sins (Rom. 4:19-25), reconciled to God (Rom. 5:11); delivered from the dominion of sin (Rom. 6), and their Adam condition, getting a new place in Him (Rom. 8:1) before God, who was their righteousness, peace (Rom. 5:1, 17, 18) and eternal life (Rom. 6:23); and the immediate seal of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 8:l6), who bore witness with their spirit that they were sons of God; and on that ground they were to present their bodies a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). The law, on the other hand, could neither justify, nor deliver from sin’s power: it could only prove guilty (Rom. 3), and give the knowledge of sin (Rom. 7). Now what do we find in Christendom generally? The utmost truth held is justification by faith, and that only from sins (Rom. 3, 4), and the law brought in afterwards, as binding, either to make perfect, or as a rule of life, instead of Christians seeing their place in Christ, (Rom. 8:1), they having died to sin, and having been made alive to God in Him (6:11). Thus by the word are we made to take heed again what we hear.
In Col. 2:8, the Christians were warned lest any man should spoil them through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Gentile philosophy, with its claims to superior knowledge, and which expressed itself in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels (Col. 2:18), and Jewish Ritualism, with its meats and drinks, and observances of days, were making inroads amongst them. But the Christians were shown their place as dead and risen with Christ, and as being complete in Him who was the Head of the assembly, as well as of all things; so that why was it, if they had died with Christ out of the world, that they were subject to these ordinances as though they were living in it? There were none of these strange doctrines and rites and ceremonies in heaven, and if they were risen with Christ, they were to seek those things which were above where Christ sat at the right hand of God (Col. 2:20; 3:1, 2). How blessedly simply it is, dear believers, to see that the death of Christ has delivered us from this Babel of strange tongues, and that by His resurrection, ascension, and the descent of the Holy Ghost, we are introduced into a scene where Christ reigns supreme, the Head and Center of a new creation, supplying us with the gifts of ministry He sends for our edification.
In 1 Tim. 6:3-5, we have a warning on the other hand when everybody claims to be a teacher:
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according, to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh evil, strife, railings, evil surmisings; perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself.
This no doubt is in connection with the truth brought out in the Epistle. Timothy had been left at Ephesus to charge certain people to hold no other doctrine than that Paul had taught (1 Tim. 1:3). The end of the charge was, 1ove out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned (ver. 5). Some were turning away from this to Judaism, desiring to be teachers of the law ( ver. 6, 7). The true use of the law is then given, as it may be used always, even now that Christianity has been introduced, showing it was not made for a righteous man, but for the ungodly, etc., and contrasting it with grace, of which the apostle was an example ( ver. 8-17). Timothy was to hold fast faith and a good conscience, and then the charge is developed. Intercessions were to be made for all men, for kings and those in authority, on the ground that God was the Saviour-God, willing that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:1-7). God’s dealings with the world were on the basis of pure grace, but this was also the foundation for the order of the house of God which is now taken up. The man and the woman were to keep their proper place (ver. 8-15). The qualifications for bishops and deacons are shown. Timothy was thus to know how to behave himself in the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Christ was the Center of all this, and of the truth according to godliness (l Tim. 3). There would be departure from this faith in the latter days (1 Tim. 4), fables and genealogies would come in, but Timothy was to hold fast this godliness, or piety, which was profitable for this life as well as for the next. If anybody speaks without regard to the doctrine which is according to godliness, as brought out in this Epistle, he is in danger of coming under the warning of ch. 6:3-5, by subverting the order of the house of God.
In regard to those causing sects and divisions, we have the rule in Titus 3:10: A man that is an heretic (or a man making sects, or a party in the Assembly), after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
In 2 Pet. 2:1, we are warned likewise against false teachers who privily would bring in damnable sects, even denying the Lord that bought them. This is evidenced around us, in men pressing a certain amount of truth perhaps as to the Lord’s coming, and then connecting their victims with the damnable doctrines of the denial of the everlasting punishment of the wicked, universal salvation, as well as the denial of the adorable Lord’s Person, either as to His deity or manhood or work of atonement. Fire is not fire, such men say; everlasting does not mean everlasting! Thus the evil begins. But as to these we have the comfort of knowing that the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished (ver. 9). The two great marks of evil in connection with such teachers are, walking in uncleanness and despising government, rule, and authority (ver. 10).
The apostle John also warns the little children against the many antichrists who had already appeared; who either denied the Person of Christ according to the Jewish form of unbelief which denied that Jesus was the Christ, i.e. the Anointed (Prophet, Priest and King); or the Gentile form which denied the Father and the Son, who as God was the revealer of God in this character (1 John 2:22, 23), or else they denied Him in His manhood (1 John 4:3). A woman was forbidden to receive any one not bringing the doctrine of the Christ into her house. If she did she was partaker with him of his evil deeds (2 John 10-13). Gaius on the other hand is commended for receiving the brethren who preached the truth, and who went forth receiving nothing of the Gentiles, whilst the clerical claims of Diotrephes who would hot receive them and would cast such out of the Assembly (3 John 5-10) are disallowed.
Lastly, the Christians are found fault with in Rev. 2:14, for allowing those who held the doctrine of Balaam to be amongst them, as well as that of the Nicolaitanes. Balaam was a prophet who was hired for pay by Balak, a worldly king, to curse the people of God, and failing in that (God turning the curse into a blessing), he taught the king how to mix up Israel and Midian together; which in principle is joining the world and the Assembly together. This is called spiritual fornication, by God; for she who was espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ has been taught by her teachers that it is no sin for the Assembly and the world to be joined together in its worship and ordinances. (Cp. Num. 22–25 and 31:1-8.) The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes was most likely the turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. If any one makes use of the grace of God to give him license to sin, he is denying the only Master and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Jude says (ver. 4). So the Assembly in Thyatira (Rev. 2:18) are found fault with, for suffering that woman Jezebel who called herself a prophetess to teach and seduce God’s servants to commit fornication and to eat things offered to idols. Jezebel was a foreign queen, daughter of the king of Sidon, whom Ahab, king of Israel, took to wife, and was led with the priests, by her influence, into the idolatrous worship of Baal. (See 1 Kings 16:30-33.) This is mostly exhibited in the Roman Catholic system.
Thus, beloved, we have been sitting at the feet of Jesus for a while, and do not let any one say it has been waste of time. Our path by it has doubtless been much narrowed, but if it be to draw us closer to our Head, and to make us satisfied with His care for His members, we shall not have got harm. I don’t forget the danger of narrow sectarianism, which under plea of Christ’s honour would drive us only to receive some of Christ’s gifts, as was evidenced in the Corinthian church, and against which Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 3. No, I have no fear of putting before the saints, with the Word of God in their hands,
all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, etc., all things are yours, and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s (1 Cor. 3:21-23);
but on the other hand if those gifts would connect us with, or draw us into a position which is contrary to God’s Word, and bring us under any such teaching of which we are to beware, we, for Christ’s honour, are bound to beware; and to remember the simple rule given us in Jeremiah who walked in the midst of the ruin of Israel;
Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them (Jer. 15:19).
And now in conclusion let me remind the saints in a few words of the glorious truth which belongs to them. There are three chief points I would press: first, Christ’s redemptive work, His death and resurrection. Secondly, His place at the right hand of God, and the descent of the Holy Ghost. Thirdly, His coming again. Beloved have you made good in your own souls, such a Christ? First, as called of God, do you know the value of Christ’s death and resurrection for you? Are you justified? Have you peace with God? (Rom. 5:1, 2.) Have you at any time of your life seen yourself to be nothing but a guilty sinner? And then, having been brought face to face with God’s justice, have you found that that righteousness was for you as displayed in the glorified Christ, justifying you freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Him (Rom. 3:19-24). Have you seen how you are justified on your side by simple faith in His Person and work, and consequently not by the works of the law (ver. 27, 28), so that now you are among the blessed ones whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, and amongst those to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:6, 8). Yes, dear believers, Christ was delivered up to death for our offences and was raised for our justification. If the righteous Judge has cleared our Substitute from all charge, of course we are cleared through Him, and the result is peace, access into a new place in the risen Christ, and we boast in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 4:25; 5:1, 2).
Secondly, do you know the value of Christ’s ascension as man to the right hand of God, given you from thence as God’s gift of righteousness and eternal life, and of the descent of the Holy Ghost, which on the one hand gives you a positive righteousness before God, and on the other hand unites you in a new nature (given to you when first called to God,) to Him who is gone up there, so that you are in Christ, and Christ in you by the Holy Ghost? (Rom. 8:1, 2, 9; Eph. 2.) Three chief blessings result from this. First, Christ is in you, and you are not in the flesh (Rom. 8:9, 10). Secondly, the Holy Ghost gives you the knowledge of the Father and of the Son, and of your place in Him, He being the promise of the Father (cp. Acts 1:4; Rom. 8:16). Thirdly, He baptizes all believers into one body, so that they are members of Christ and of nothing less (1 Cor. 12:12; compare with Acts 1:5; 2:1-3). Oh, believers, let me repeat the question, Do you know that God has given you another gift besides the gift of His Son, and that the gift of the Holy Ghost? The one, His Son, entirely outside you; the second inside you, and making good in your very soul all the blessings that you have by faith in the other gift. Yes, believer, if you have received Christ in glory, you are not only cleared from all guilt and have peace with God through His dying for your sins and rising for your justification, but you have a positive present heavenly place in Him, whom God has glorified as man; and the Holy Ghost having come down from heaven, you are united to Christ; you are not only in Christ, but Christ is in you; you are dead and risen with Him (for that ascended Christ brought into your soul by the Holy Ghost is the dead and risen One); you have the knowledge of all things freely given to you of God (1 Cor. 2:12); of sins having been put away forever (Heb. 10:15, 17); sonship, adoption (Rom. 8:15, 16), besides, He makes you a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12). You walk by faith on the Son of God (Gal. 2:20); and by the Spirit you are led (Gal. 5:18), who gives you power also to mortify the deeds of the flesh, which still remains in you, though now you reckon it dead (Rom. 8:13, 14); besides, the same Spirit is the sure earnest to you that you will have a raised body like the Lord Jesus, for He dwelt in Him as man, and now dwells in you to raise you up should you die as He raised Christ up. (See Rom. 8:11.) Oh, may God give every dear believer to see his union with Christ by the Holy Ghost!
There is an additional point of truth which is important in connection with the Son of God’s glorified place at the right hand of God; and that is our sanctification as seen in the Epistle to the Hebrews. He in that new place sets aside the claim of angels, who were the dispensers of the law, and of every other man; and communicating His resurrection Life, gives the believers the place of sanctfied brethren, having delivered them by His death from the power of Satan, and made propitiation for their sins (Heb. 1, 2). He is then displayed as their Heavenly Captain leading them across this world to the heavenly rest of God; their High Priest acting for them by His Word, sympathy, and intercession (Heb. 3, 5); as High Priest after the order of Melchisedec setting aside the Aaronic priesthood (Heb. 5–7); ministering in the heavenly sanctuary, and so setting aside the earthly one. From thence He displays the ministry and blessings of the new testament in spirit, on the ground of the blood of His one sacrifice which has once and for ever taken away our sins, perfected the conscience of all who believe, of which the Holy Ghost is the witness (Heb. 8–10). Thus Christians are sanctified priests, set apart from the earthly priesthood, earthly sanctuary, the law and its sacrifices, which could not take away sins nor perfect the conscience of believers. Our path as the result is to walk in practical sanctification as children of the Father, going to Christ outside the camp of Judaism, bearing His reproach (Heb. 12–13).
Thirdly, Christ is coming again.
There are three chief points I would press in regard to it. First, it is a personal coming. Jesus Himself the Son of God, as the Bright and Morning Star, is coming (Rev. 22:7, 12, 16; 1 Thess. 1:10). Secondly, the resurrection of the body of the saints then takes place (1 Thess. 4:16), but it is a resurrection from amongst the dead, as Christ’s was; the rest of the dead (the wicked) are left behind in their tombs (1 Cor. 15:20, 23; Phil. 3:11 ). Thirdly, it is a resurrection of life and not of judgment (John 5:24, 29), of salvation and not of damnation (1 Thess. 5:9), so that when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, which will take place afterwards, to receive our rewards or to suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:15), we shall be as perfect as Christ is perfect (2 Cor. 5:1-10). Christian, this is your glorious hope! (Titus 2:13). Yes, Christ is coming again! Then the dead saints shall be raised, the living shall changed, and we shall be all caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so be for ever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:14-18), to return with Him to judge the world. (Cp. 1 Thess. 5:1-9, with 1 Cor. 6:2, 3.) Oh, dear believers, think of it! Christ, a real Person, the same Jesus who lived down here and died, who rose and went up on high, is coming again. I verily believe many saints have no idea that Christ is a real Man at the right hand of God, and coming again! A Christian said to me the other day, that he only thought of the risen Christ as a spirit! Oh, the darkness that is abroad! May God wake the saints up and make them take heed what they hear! Yes, dear saints, Jesus is coming, and coming as the Saviour of the body for every saint. No judgment for us. That is all settled at the cross. Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. I Jesus am the Bright and Morning star, and the Spirit and the bride say, Come (Rev. 22:16, 17). May the Lord lead His dear saints fully to accept such a Christ, and to test those they hear more by the doctrine they bring, and less by a position in the Church given them by man.