======================================================================== WRITINGS OF GUY H KING by Guy H. King ======================================================================== A collection of theological writings, sermons, and essays by Guy H. King, compiled for study and devotional reading. Chapters: 81 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 01.00.1. An Exposition of First John - THE FELLOWSHIP 2. 01.00.5. Foreward 3. 01.00.6. Table of Contents 4. 01.01. The Pleasure of Fellowship -- 1Jn_1:1-7 5. 01.02. The Problem of The Fellowship -- 1Jn 1:8-2:2 6. 01.03. The Passion of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_2:3-11 7. 01.04. The Progress of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_2:12-14 8. 01.05. The Perils of Fellowship -- 1Jn_2:15-29 9. 01.06. The Portraits of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_3:1-3 10. 01.07. The Purity of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_3:4-9 11. 01.08. The Practicality of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_3:10-18 12. 01.09. The Proofs of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_3:19-4:6 13. 01.10. The Position of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_4:7-21 14. 01.11. The Power of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_5:1-5 15. 01.12. The Possession of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_5:6-13 16. 01.13. The Prayer of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_5:14-17 17. 01.14. The Persuasions of The Fellowship -- 1Jn_5:18-21 18. 02.00.1. An Expositional Study of II Timothy - TO MY SON 19. 02.00.2. Preface to the e-Sword Edition 20. 02.00.3. Copyright Information 21. 02.00.4. Dedication 22. 02.00.5. Foreward 23. 02.00.6. Table of Contents 24. 02.01. 2Ti 1:1-2 - The Persons Concerned 25. 02.02. 2Ti 1:3-7 - Grandmotherly Religion 26. 02.03. 2Ti 1:8-12 - The Passing Days... 27. 02.04. 2Ti 1:13-18 - Fidelity And Falsity 28. 02.05. 2Ti 2:1-7 - Some Things Every Christian... 29. 02.06. 2Ti 2:8-10 - The Gospel Gold Mine 30. 02.07. 2Ti 2:11-13 - Something to Sing About 31. 02.08. 2Ti 2:14-19 - Three Words 32. 02.09. 2Ti 2:20-21 - The Vessels of The House 33. 02.10. 2Ti 2:22-26 - Meet Three Groups 34. 02.11. 2Ti 3:1-9 - A Mirror of Last Days 35. 02.12. 2Ti 3:10-13 - But - What A Difference! 36. 02.13. 2Ti 3:14-17 - A Thorough-Going Bible Man 37. 02.14. 2Ti 4:1-5 - Picture of a Preacher 38. 02.15. 2Ti 4:6-8 - At the End of the Road 39. 02.16. 2Ti 4:9-12 - Snapshots of Six Soldiers 40. 02.17. 2Ti 4:13-18 - On Remand 41. 02.18. 2Ti 4:19-22 - Just A Last Few Lines 42. 03.00.1. CROSSING THE BORDER - An Expositional Study of Colossians 43. 03.00.2. Preface to the e-Sword Edition 44. 03.00.3. Copyright Information 45. 03.00.4. In Memoriam 46. 03.00.5. Grapes, Giants & Grasshopp... Numbers 13:23-33 47. 03.00.6. Foreward 48. 03.00.7. Table of Contents 49. 03.01. Colossians 1:1-2 -- His Tactful Approach 50. 03.02. Colossians 1:3-11 -- His Courteous Address 51. 03.03. Colossians 1:12-29 -- His Main Emphasis 52. 03.04. Colossians 2:1-10 -- His Advice On Advance 53. 03.05. Colossians 2:11-23 -- His Warning of Snares 54. 03.06. Colossians 3:1-4 -- His Encouragement of Ambition 55. 03.07. Colossians 3:5-14 -- His Guidance on Garments 56. 03.08. Colossians 3:15-4:1 -- His Ideal Home Exhibition 57. 03.09. Colossians 4:2-6 -- His Talk of Tongues 58. 03.10. Colossians 4:7-14 -- His Enclosed Group Photograph 59. 03.11. Colossians 4:15-18 -- His Kind Regards 60. 04.00.1. JOY WAY - An Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians 61. 04.00.2. Preface to the e-Sword Edition 62. 04.00.3. Copyright Information 63. 04.00.4. Dedication 64. 04.00.5. Foreward 65. 04.00.6. Table of Contents 66. 04.01. Salut d'Amour - Pph 1:1-2 67. 04.02. The Good Companions - Php_1:3-8 68. 04.03. What A Happy Prayer! - Php_1:9-11 69. 04.04. The Happiness of a Humble Spirit - Php_1:12-26 70. 04.05. Happy Warriors - Php_1:27-30; Php_2:1-4 71. 04.06. Rungs of Gladness - Php_2:5-11 72. 04.07. Now, And How -- Php_2:12-13 73. 04.08. Darkest Places Need The... Php 2:14-18 74. 04.09. A Couple of Fine Specimens -- Php_2:19-30 75. 04.10. Profit And Loss Account - Php_3:1-11 76. 04.11. A Sporting Interlude -- Php_3:12-16 77. 04.12. Heaven Below - Php_3:17-21 78. 04.13. A Fly in the Ointment - Php_4:1-3 79. 04.14. One Hundred Percent - Php_4:4-9 80. 04.15. Enough and to Spare -- Php_4:10-20 81. 04.16. Good-bye, Saints! -- Php_4:21-23 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 1: 01.00.1. AN EXPOSITION OF FIRST JOHN - THE FELLOWSHIP ======================================================================== THE FELLOWSHIP An Exposition of First John by Guy H. King ======================================================================== CHAPTER 2: 01.00.5. FOREWARD ======================================================================== FOREWORD WHOSO embarks upon a sincere and serious study of this Epistle lays himself open to much humbling of heart. Yet that same heart will soon - perhaps on account of its very humbling - find itself enraptured with what it here shall find. The Life, the Light, and the Love of the Fellowship will make him bless GOD that, by His grace, he ever came to belong, and pray GOD that, by His power, he may ever seek properly to behave. Many titles for the Epistle have been suggested by its various expositors. For my own part, I have for long felt that its early discussion of "fellowship" is the clue to the whole. I have recently found corroboration in words of Dr. Marvin Vincent of New York, who wrote, "the keynote of fellowship pervades the Epistle." If I have seemed, in places, over-dogmatic in support of my own interpretations, forgive the wrongful spirit - but study the point all the more carefully, in case I am right! May the Divine Head of the Fellowship deign to use this Study, in spite of all its faults and shortcomings, to the blessing of some of its Members. G. H. K. CHRIST Church Vicarage, Beckenham A PRAYER OF THE FELLOWSHIP MASTER, speak! Thy servant heareth, Waiting for Thy gracious word. Longing for Thy voice that cheereth, MASTER, let it now be heard. I am listening, Lord, for Thee. What hast Thou to say to me? MASTER, speak! Though least and lowest, Let me not unheard depart; MASTER, speak! for, oh, Thou knowest All the yearning of my heart, Knowest all its truest need, Speak! and make me blest indeed. MASTER, Speak! and make me ready, When Thy voice is truly heard, With obedience glad and steady, Still to follow every word. I am listening, Lord, for Thee, MASTER, speak, oh speak to me. Speak to me by name, O MASTER, Let me know it is to me, Speak that I may follow faster, With a step more firm and free, Where the Shepherd leads the flock, In the shadow of the Rock. - F. R. Havergal ======================================================================== CHAPTER 3: 01.00.6. TABLE OF CONTENTS ======================================================================== Table of Contents 01. THE PLEASURE OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 1:1-7 02. THE PROBLEM OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 1:8-10; 1 John 2:1-2 03. THE PASSION OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 2:3-11 04. THE PROGRESS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 2:12-14 05. THE PERILS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 2:15-29 06. THE PORTRAITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 3:1-3 07. THE PURITY OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 3:4-9 08. THE PRACTICALITY OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 3:10-18 09. THE PROOFS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 3:19-24; 1 John 4:1-6 10. THE POSITION OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 4:7-21 11. THE POWER OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 5:1-5 12. THE POSSESSION OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 5:6-13 13. THE PRAYERS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 5:14-17 14. THE PERSUASION OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 1 John 5:18-21 *** ======================================================================== CHAPTER 4: 01.01. THE PLEASURE OF FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_1:1-7 ======================================================================== The Pleasure of Fellowship -- 1 John 1:1-7 Chapter One That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. "THESE things write we unto you that your joy may be full." says verse 1 John 1:4. There was so much in the conditions and circumstances of the Early Church - persecution, loneliness, atmosphere, martyrdom - which might be supposed to depress those first Christians; but there were overriding blessings that would minister to "your joy". Do you recall the circumstances of the occasion when our LORD JESUS spoke of "my joy", (John 15:11)? This passage, then, has things to say to its readers, and to us, that will conduce to real joy of heart. In coming to the expositional study of this Epistle, there is a great deal that is of interest and importance to scholars in the field of New Testament criticism, and the like, that, by the very nature of our own task, need not detain us. The matter of authorship has been widely discussed; but the old view, that it was written by John the Apostle, has the backing of such distinguished names, of world-wide repute, as Sunday, Armitage, Robinson, Salmond, Chase, Ramsay, Westcott, Gore, Moulton, Scroggie, and others. As to date, we are inclined to the opinion that A.D. 95-8 is the period of its composition, making it thus (with the 2nd and 3rd Epistles) the last piece of the New Testament to be written before the Revelation. The place where the aged apostle dictated the Letter was probably Ephesus, though it was not specifically addressed to the Church there, being designated as an Epistle General, that is, not meant for any particular place, like the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, but for the Church at large, the Christians in general - for you and me, for instance. Let us take up the study of it in that light: as a letter addressed personally to us individually. We turn, then, to our first section, which will underline for us one of the fundamental truths of the Christian religion, that we are saved not for Isolation but for Fellowship: a community whose nature will make for joy and pleasure in all who really belong. As Psalms 16:11 has it, "In thy presence is fulness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore". Mark that it is: A FELLOWSHIP OF LIFE (1 John 1:1-2) There is something so joyous about virile life! These verses show it to be A Life which is Eternal (a) It runs back into the past: "from the beginning" (1). The Gospel of John (John 1:1) says it was "in the beginning". The American scholar, Dr. Marvin Vincent, suggests that "in" implies being present BEFORE the creation - and - "from" signifies presence AT the TIME of creation. Somewhat after the two statements, "the Lamb slain FROM the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8, and the "Lamb . . . foreordained BEFORE the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:19-20). (b) It runs on into the future: "that eternal life" (2). Once that life is ours, it never ends for us - "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish" (John 10:28 - in the Greek the negative is doubled, that is to say, "in no wise", "on no account"). Whatever else is said about this life, it endures - the believer has "eternal" life, John 3:15, it always has been; and "everlasting" life, John 3:16, it always will be. Further, here is A Life which is Historical - it is not something merely theoretical, ethereal: the Life, for all its pre-existence, did, at a point of time, appear as an event on the state of human history - "the life... which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." (2). John was one of the privileged ones, who had "seen" for himself, and so was able to, indeed felt bound to, "shew" the fact to others. A "witness" is a two-sided being - the one side of him sees, the other side of him shows (Show and tell); and it is just that dual function that is incumbent upon every true believer - "ye shall be witnesses . . ." (Acts 1:8). Thus we are led on to see this as A Life which is Personal (a) It is personified in CHRIST. When, in our opening verse, it speaks of "the Word of life", the capital "W" taking us back to the beginning of the Gospel, it transpires that the Life is not an It, but a He. That runs, almost as a principle, through all the supplies of our spiritual needs. He not merely gives, but is - "I am the Bread" (John 6:35); "I am the Door", (John 10:7); "I am the Vine" (John 15:5); "I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25) (cf Micah 5:5 "This Man shall be the peace"). Well now, this Life that was the Person, was heard; seen, "with our eyes" - no mere illusion, but an evident fact that could be "looked upon"; handled - as He said, "handle me and see", (Luke 24:39; John 20:27). (b) He is personally appropriated by faith. It is not for us to have physical contact with Him now; but "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:20). We may spiritually appropriate Him for ourselves through the medium of the apprehending organ of the spirit - faith, the ear of the soul; faith, the eye of the soul; faith, the hand of the soul, that takes Him for our own. So does the "life" come to us through that contact. 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone . . . ye also, as lively (living) stones." Like those electric machines which on your grasping the handles transmit their inherent current into your recipient body. So we have "handled Him, and we have life, and enter the fellowship of those who rejoice in that priceless boon. Look again: this comradeship is also - A FELLOWSHIP OF LOVE (1 John 1:3) There is something so joyous about real love! And we have here a hint of The Love of Human Fellowship" - "that ye also may have fellowship with us" Those who, in those pristine days, had been in physical contact with the LORD had been drawn together, and bound together, in a bond of mutual love. Like the spokes of a wheel, being so close to the axle, they were so near to one another. And now, says the apostle, not only we who were so close as to touch Him, but "ye also" may have the joy and strength of this Christian fellowship. "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love." It was this quality in the relationship between these early believers that so impressed the onlookers in that rather hard world, "See how these Christians love one another!" Oh that, in place of the bickering and backbiting that occasionally disfigure our Christian behaviour, and stultify our Christian testimony, the Church at large were to receive, by the secret given us in Romans 5:8, a new baptism of love, as in the first days of power. The world would still be impressed by such a practical evidence of the reality and joy of our fellowship. Higher, and happier, still is the Love of Divine Fellowship - "and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3) How amazing it is that, being what we are, we receive a welcome into fellowship with Him, being what He is - the atom consorting with the Almighty; the Holy One and the unholy conversing together through the appointed media of Bible and Prayer. Such godly friendship has always been open to those who, whatever their circumstances, have been willing to pay the price of utter fidelity to Him. - In a difficult age "Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:22); - In a degenerate era Noah did the same, (Genesis 6:9). A like privilege is available to us - on the same terms! These two fellowships hang together - the one with Him cementing the other; the one with them reflecting the other. A recent correspondent concluded his letter to me, "Yours because His" - yes, that’s right: the inter-dependence of the dual fellowship. Be it noted that GOD sets real store by the fellowship, and warns us against doing any hurt or harm to it - a Christian, a church-member, failing in love towards a fellow-believer, not acting or speaking in an loving way. That is a very serious thing, for it is not only the victim that we hurt, but the LORD Himself, who died for us both. To anyone who harasses a Christian He would say, "Why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4). Note that this blest communion is also A FELLOWSHIP OF LIGHT (1 John 1:5-7) There is something so joyous about clear light! The verses tell us a part of The Character of GOD - Who "is light (1 John 1:5); not just "gives" - though He does that, John 1:9 - but "IS". Just as "God is love" (1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:16), so "God is light": these qualities are of the very essence of His Being. Speaking of this passage, Vincent comments that light physically represents glory, intellectually represents truth, and morally represents holiness. There can be little doubt that, judging from the context, the emphasis here is on the sheer holiness of GOD. No careful student of the Bible can fail to observe that there are two facets of the Divine revelation of Himself: (1) the joy of "God is love"; (2) the Judgment of "God is light". These are not contradictory, but complementary, as the late H. S. Guillebaud so clearly brought out in his great little book, Why the Cross? (pp. 60 ff.). How vividly, and how tragically, the two aspects of the Saviour’s weeping and warning, over Jerusalem, in Luke 19:41 ff., and Matthew 23:37; Matthew 23:8. Because He is light, "in Him is no darkness at all". So it follows that the Company of GOD - must be compatible. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" asks Amos 3:3. Alas, even believers sometimes "walk in darkness" (1 John 1:6) - that will not mean that they have forfeited the Life, nor strangled the Love, but they have beclouded the Light. They are still in the Family, but they have broken the Fellowship - even as, in a human family, a child’s disobedience causes a cloud between him and his father. How different, how altogether blessed, to "walk . . . in the light of thy countenance" (Psalms 89:15): a sun without cloud or mist. If we "do not", it is plain falsehood to claim fellowship. Ah, but thank GOD for those who "walk in the light" (1 John 1:7) - who live daily in obedience to Him, and rejoice in His way and will. These know the benediction of the fellowship. Let it be said that such people have a happy sense of comradeship with other believers. "we have fellowship one with another"; and also they have a peculiar sensitiveness to sin, and a looking for a continual flow of cleansing - "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth [that is, goes on cleansing] us from all sin." Here is a man walking in darkness, because he is blind. In order that he may walk in the light there must first be an initial operation, by the ophthalmic surgeon, who will remove the cataract, and then a continual operation of the tear duct, which will keep on cleansing the optic. The first has happened to every believer, when through the glorious saving operation of the Great Surgeon, we can exclaim, in spiritual significance, "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). And now, as he walks in the light, that is, walks in obedience, he shall know the continual washing that comes from the precious blood of CHRIST. "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life", says the MASTER in John 8:12; and, as we have seen, our passage adds, "in him is no darkness at all" (5). By some law of tenure, it would be possible that, while you possessed an estate, someone else might own a parcel of ground within your demesne, and would have right of way through your part in order to reach his plot, to your discomfort, if he were a disagreeable man. However, the LORD said, "the prince of this world . . . hath nothing in me" (John 14:30): NO DARKNESS AT ALL! And such is His desire for all His people - "having no part dark" (Luke 11:36). A dark spot will not only dim the fellowship; but it may also endanger other lives. In another book I have used the story of W. Y. Fullerton’s which I take leave to include here, because it is so germane to what has just been written. It happened in the experience of a lighthouse keeper on the Florida coast. One wild night a pane of glass in his lantern was broken, and not having another to replace it, he substituted for the glass a sheet of tin. That night, they say, a ship was beating up for harbour, and it went ashore with the loss of the ship and of human lives besides. Why? The light was not extinguished, the light did not burn dim, but there was one part dark! Is there any such hindrance in us? Speaking of the darkness of the world around, Php 2:15 says, "Among whom ye shine as lights . . ." [luminaries], lighthouses set for the help of voyagers on the sea of life, warning them of rocks, guiding them to harbour. Well - is there any part dark? Any bad habit that would lead others astray, that would cause shipwreck in another life? That would be a grievous blot on the Fellowship. And now, ere we turn from the passage, let us stay one moment longer on that word "declare", verse 1 John 1:5 -we had it also in 1 John 1:3. It emphasizes the fundamental Christian obligation to tell our discovery to others. In the world of Medicine, it is part of what is called "The Hippocratic Oath", which every doctor is supposed to subserve, that he shall, for the benefit of mankind, publish to his brethren any fresh discovery that he may make in the field of medical science. That is one of the differences between the real doctor and the quack - the latter gentleman keeps his discovery to himself, that he may personally batten and fatten upon it. GOD grant that we may not be quack Christians, but quick to "declare" what we have found in our fellowship in Him. "I hear a clear voice calling, calling Calling out of the night, O, you who live in the Light of Life, Bring us the Light! We are bound in the chains of darkness, Our eyes received no sight, O, you who have never been bond or blind, Bring us the Light! "You cannot - you shall not forget us, Out here in the darkest night, We are drowning men, we are dying men, Bring, O, bring us the Light!" -- John Oxenham (Bees in Amber) It is the Resurrection Commission all over again, as we have it in Matthew 28:6-7 - "Come, see . . . go quickly, and tell." Well, there it is: Life, Love, Light. What pleasure does such a Fellowship betoken for those who really belong! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 5: 01.02. THE PROBLEM OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN 1:8-2:2 ======================================================================== The Problem of The Fellowship -- 1 John 1:8-10; 1 John 2:1-2 Chapter Two If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. WE saw last time that the threefold mark of the Fellowship, as a body, is that it is a Fellowship of Life, a Fellowship of Love, and a Fellowship of Light. The three notes of the members, as individuals, are Holiness, Happiness, and Helpfulness. We should, if things are right with us, be possessed of those qualities. This section of our Epistle is concerned with the first of them - holiness. The moment we become desirous of this beautiful Christian characteristic, we are made aware of the opposition, we find ourselves sensitive to sin - this it is that is the believer’s problem: THE NEED FOR CLEANSING Yes, Christians; for it is to such that the Epistle is written - let them learn that, however advanced in holiness they may become, they will never, down here, pass beyond the need for cleansing. Notice here the series of "If’s": each introducing some aspect of the sin problem. Sin as a Root - "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). We are to be careful to distinguish between the root and the fruit - in this verse we are concerned with the former; and if we were so successful in Christian character and conduct that we had no sinful fruit in our life, we could not truthfully say "we have no sin", for the root remains, liable to break into fruit at any time. There are those who teach that it is possible to get this ugly root completely extracted - "eradicationists", they are called. I cannot personally join their company, for I feel that the New Testament is against them, that we Christians have to suffer this evil entail from the Fall, and that the way to deal with the root is not by eradication, but by counteraction. If we think otherwise, does not "we deceive ourselves" apply - does this not seem to be the HOLY SPIRIT’S teaching, to John here; and to Paul, in Galatians 5:16-17, "Walk in the SPIRIT, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh . . .?" The flesh, the old sinful nature, the root, always there: the SPIRIT, the counteracting Divine Agent, for victory. This evil presence remaining is the reason why Sin is so Universal. A jelly-mould gives its pattern to all its children: if you accidentally drop something into it, and chip the pattern, all the subsequent jellies will bear the mark of the fall. All those who come from Adam carry the stigma of his Fall. This also explains why Sin is so Attractive. There is a something in us that answers to the pull of the temptation without. A magnet will have no effect on a pile of wood-shavings - there is nothing there to respond; but how different when the approach is to a pile of steel-filings! There is an element in the steel that finds in the magnet something desirable, and succumbs to its draw. That magnet is like the temptation; and this root in us finds fascination in it, and yields to its invitation. Here, too, lies the suggestion of why Sin is so Strong. This root is like a spy within the castle, in league with the enemy outside, giving increased power to the onslaught, because he knows which doors to leave open. The evil triumvirate of the world, the flesh and the devil is immensely strengthened by the fact that one of them is hiding within the stronghold itself. In this truth also we have the clue - Sin is so Usual. Left to ourselves, we shall always be liable to take the crooked way, and rarely likely to go straight. We are like the "wood" in the game of bowls; its object will be to lie as close as possible to the little white "jack" - yet, except controlled by the man who knows, it will always go awry. The explanation is, of course, that inside the big wooden hall there is a piece of metal, the "bias", which always gives it a crooked tendency. That wrong bent is overcome by the counteraction of the expert bowler. There it is, then, this problem of indwelling sin (See Romans 7:20). On the other side we shall lose it; but while we are this side of glory, we shall always have to reckon with it; and we shall never be able truthfully to "say that we have no sin." Next, we consider Sinfulness as a Character - "our sins, and . . . all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). How sadly sinful we are, indeed! We are not sinners because we sin: we sin because we are sinners in character. A dog is not a dog because it barks: it barks because it’s a dog. A tree is not a plum tree because it bears plums: it bears plums because it’s a plum tree. Actual sins are the symptoms of the deep-seated malady of a sinful character; and it is not merely the spots but the disease that the Great Physician would deal with, as we place ourselves in His hands. He will get to the root of the matter: there it is again, the root! He will remedy matters by implanting Another Root, the SPIRIT, Ephesians 5:9. He will concern Himself not only with sin’s characteristics, but with its character. Is this not the reason why the beginning of the Christian life is so radical in its nature that it has to be described as a New Birth. To become a Christian a man has to be not just a better man, but actually a different man. "Except a man be born again... he cannot enter into the kingdom of God", John 3:3-5. Suppose a fish wants to become a man he will not accomplish it by being a better fish: except a fish be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of man! "Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child [that is, by becoming a little child all over again - by being born anew], he shall not enter therein", Mark 10:15. And as 2 Corinthians 5:17 has it "If any man be in Christ, he is [not a better creature; though he ought also to be that] a new creature" - certainly every bit of a new creation. Thus by another, and a new root, it becomes possible to alter the fruit. Now let us look at another aspect of this Sin Problem of ours. Sinning as a Habit. "If we say that we have not sinned . . . (1 John 1:10). Here, says Vincent, is "sin regarded as an act"; and that, presumably, not an isolated occasion, but a quite frequent occurrence. We do, we Christians do, often commit deeds of ungodliness, and do omit deeds of godliness. Let it be said specifically that there is no need for this - for, in the Gospel of full salvation, provision is made for the thwarting of such unchristian behaviour. Do you think that we all too often experience failure because we don’t expect anything else? Did the MASTER ever deal imperfectly with the physical ills of men; and shall it be otherwise when He undertakes the salvation from spiritual maladies? Shall not these latter sufferers also be made "perfectly whole"? Not "perfect" yet in the final sense, for the sinful root still remains, but, so far as present practice is concerned, a complete cure. Such perfection we may justifiably anticipate - "Be ye therefore perfect [in your sphere], even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect [in His sphere]", (Matthew 5:48). Do you not find this, with the writer, a terribly humbling thought? What we should be, and could be, compared with what we are! No one, not even the most dastard unbeliever, would dare to call GOD a liar; yet some have ventured to "make Him a liar" by professing an immunity from sin which they have not attained. His Word, in Romans 3:22-23 for example, says that "there is no difference: for all have sinned". A difference in degree doubtless, but no difference in fact. In a fever ward, all have the infection but some worse than others. In life, all have the disease of sin - "there is no difference" as to the fact; yet the symptoms, the spots, appear worse in some. That Word of GOD is in the Scriptures, but "not in us", if we deny the truth, and claim to be exempt from the general accusation. Sin as a Surprise - is next dealt with. All that the apostle has been saying is penned in order that his readers may see the sin problem stated, in our present quotations, and solved, in our later excerpts - "that ye sin not" (1 John 2:1). They ought not, they need not - but what if they do? "If any man sin" there is in that "if" an element of surprise. If he become guilty of some sin, let it be clearly understood, he is not cast out of the family, but the fellowship is broken; just as any child knows who has been naughty, that the sun goes in behind a cloud until the sin has been confessed, repented, and forgiven - he has been in the family all the time, but now the fellowship has been restored. "If any man sin" - when the sin comes out, the sun goes in: that’s it! In such an event - we repeat, such a surprising event - let it be remembered that we are not abandoned to our own poor self-efforts at restoration: we have got ourselves into this mess, we must get ourselves out of it. NO, no: that would involve us in a helpless, and hopeless, situation. Here is GOD’s way - "we have an Advocate." You are familiar enough with the thought, and, I expect, with the attentions of "your adversary", (1 Peter 5:8); do we realize sufficiently the boon and blessing of our Advocate - "righteous", in that He Himself has no sin to be dealt with, else He could never have dealt justly and adequately with ours. There He stands in Holy Court, conducting our case before the Righteous JUDGE, (Hebrews 9:24). We are guilty; He offers no defence; but He puts in a plea for mercy, forgiveness and re-instatement - a plea grounded not on my merit (alas, I have none), but on His own: a prevailing propitiation. We shall deal with its nature when we come to study 1 John 4:10. For the moment, we rejoice that it is so gloriously efficacious in settling our case. What, then, is our wisdom "if any man sin"? Well, what is our wisdom if we see a lot of water resting upon our knife. Is it not to dry it off at once? Otherwise, the knife will rust. I recall that, in speaking of ill-gotten gains, James 5:3 says "the rust of them shall be a witness against you." Let us, therefore, as soon as we are conscious of any particular sin, deal with it at once - not waiting even for our evening confession and prayer. Let there be no rust remaining, to blunt the keen edge of our Christian life and testimony. "If any man sin" - surprised into it - seek to get the stain removed without delay. So, from varying aspects, our passage discloses the need for Cleansing. Think next of THE GROUND OF CLEANSING "The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Indeed it is true to say that "the precious Blood of Christ", (1 Peter 1:19), is the ground, the basis, the foundation of all GOD’s dealings with man, and all GOD’s blessings for man. Nowadays, it is the fashion, in certain circles, to exclude the word from their theological phraseology and hymnody, since they regard it as too crude and too coarse for our modern ears. Yet, even these will not boggle at speaking of the blood of our warriors shed for us on the battlefield. But GOD didn’t hesitate, our Saviour didn’t hesitate, Paul didn’t hesitate, and now John didn’t hesitate - why should you or I hesitate, to speak of it, and that with adoring wonder, with heartfelt gratitude, even with bated breath? Precious is that Blood to GOD, because it cost Him so much; precious is it to us, because it causes us such blessings. Here, then, is the explanation, and the reason why GOD is able to grant us the priceless boom of cleansing from sin. Look into the matter more definitely. "The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son" - so is the cleansing agent described. (a) JESUS - the Human name. It is real Blood shed: the Blood of Man for the sin of men. (b) CHRIST - the Messianic name. It is the Blood pictured and predicted by that of the GOD-appointed sacrifices of the old Levitical dispensation. In His Blood all those typical sheddings have been fully and finally fulfilled. (c) His SON - the Divine description. It is the Blood of Deity, to speak in figure, as we find in Acts 20:28. No wonder that the shedding is of infinite value; and no wonder that even the old typical sacrificial blood was held sacred - so that, for instance, when the Israelite houses on Passover night, in Egypt, were bloodsprinkled on the lintel and doorposts, Exodus 12:7, none was to be on the door-step: it was too holy a thing to be trodden and trampled under foot. That was only the symbol: what shall be said of the reality? Let us never speak, nor sing, lightly and loosely of the precious Blood - personally, I always write it with a capital "B". "Cleanseth us" - it may be said that this present tense has a twofold significance. (1) The tense of Competence - the Blood is competent to cleanse, has the property of cleansing. Nothing else can, but this can. You have exactly the same idea in connection with the Old Testament sacrifices. "It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul", (Leviticus 17:11). So it is the blood that cleanseth, that has this property, this efficacy, which belongs to nothing else in all the wide world. Soap and water can clean the outside; only the Blood can cleanse the heart and conscience within. (2) The tense of Continuance - keeps on cleansing. There is an initial cleansing, when first we "come"; and there is a continual cleansing as often as we come; and the medium of cleansing is the same, in both cases. I have often heard the illustration as in our first chapter, that it is like the watering of the eye, the flow is always there dealing with the impurities that intrude. Personally, I cannot feel that it is as automatic as that; but that there must be, on our part, a continual coming, as often as needs be, in penitence and resolve. "From all sin" - what a sense of completion is conveyed by that word "all". It is frequently found in the New Testament, and always gives the impression that the matter is complete - there is - "all wisdom", (Ephesians 1:8), so that we may always know all we ought to know; - "all joy", (James 1:2), even in the midst of trial and tribulation; - "all patience", (2 Corinthians 12:12), nothing availing to break down our endurance; - "all diligence", (2 Peter 1:5), keeping us always busy in the service of GOD, workers and not shirkers; - "all pleasing", (Colossians 1:10), not gratifying self, but Him; - "all might", (Colossians 1:11), so that, whatever our task, our temptation, our testing, we shall have a constant supply of power for continuous victory, which "they which receive . . . shall reign in life", (Romans 5:17). Indeed, what fulness is compressed within the narrow compass of those three (two) little letters - multum in parvo. And now we have - "all sin", the HOLY SPIRIT has led John to use the word as comprising all the forms and manifestations of the evil principle. Call sin what you like - evil, corruption, transgression, wickedness, vice, crime, uncleanliness, fall, filth, guilt, bondage, iniquity, stain, wrong, misdemeanour, here are fifteen of its many names and aspects: they are covered by this "all sin", as a Root, as a Character, as a Habit, as a Surprise. Now consider THE RANGE OF CLEANSING The range is as wide as the need; and so the whole experience and personality of the believer comes under the blessed process. "clean every whit" (John 13:10 - is GOD’s purpose for His children. A small boy presents himself at the breakfast table - his knees are clean, his hands are clean, his face is clean, even his neck is clean; but, alas, he is sent upstairs again to complete his ablutions: "You haven’t washed behind your ears!" Our Heavenly FATHER is not satisfied unless we are clean through and through - and His purpose is always our possibility. A Cleansed Heart - comes first. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Take that to pieces. (a) "Confess - to GOD of course, not to a priest. There may be some occasion when it would be right and salutary for someone weighed down with a sense of sin, under deep conviction, to unburden his soul to some understanding person, with great relief and release; but for what is known as auricular confession to a priest I can find no warrant in Holy Scripture. Besides the confession to GOD, there must also be, in some instances, confession, and, where practicable, restitution, to the one we have wronged. You will remember how Paul insists on this in the case of the runaway slave and thief, Onesimus, whom he has just led to CHRIST. His Master Philemon has, then under the Roman law, absolute power of life or death in such a case - yet Onesimus must take that risk; he must go back now to Colossae, and confess his robbery and desertion to the man he has wronged. This is a matter of real importance. It may be that some reader of these lines is failing to know peace in his conscience, and power in his service, simply because, while he has confessed to GOD, he has not put it right (so far as he can) with the one against whom he has sinned. For you, my friend, this may entail a distressing interview, the writing of a difficult letter, but if you would have GOD’S best, if you would serve GOD best, it must be done. Are you serious enough, courageous enough, to ask His help and go and do it? It is this confession to a wronged one that James has in mind when he writes "Confess your faults [note: not your sins] one to another" (James 5:16). We are, then, to own up to our sinnership, in general, whether we feel it or not, and to our sins, in particular. Continue to break up our strategic verse. (b) "Faithful" - to His promise He will never break His word, concerning anything He has said, and, just now, this thing that He has so lovingly and graciously undertaken to do. "There hath not failed one word of all His good promise", says 1 Kings 8:56 : no, nor never shall. I always think that His oft-repeated promise of His resurrection on the third day was the strictest test of His fidelity to His word: and I often thrill at the simple allusion of the angel, "He is risen, as He said", (Matthew 28:6): He had said so, and of course He did. Yes, of course, for He is ever "faithful" to what He has promised. (c) "Just" - to His law. GOD cannot break His own laws; and seeing that sin must be righteously dealt with, and sinners justly punished, Deity, if we may put it so, had to overcome the problem of how justly to save the sinner. Everlasting glory be to GOD that His wisdom evolved a plan wherein His holiness is justified and His love is satisfied "Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God", (1 Corinthians 1:24). Is His sacrifice in our place a proper transaction? Yes, if the Offering is Faultless - as were the old animals, "without blemish and without spot". - So Pilate says, "Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him", (John 19:4); - Judas confesses, "I have betrayed the innocent Blood", (Matthew 27:4); - the Thief declares, "This man hath done nothing amiss", (Luke 23:41); - the Centurion testifies, "Certainly this was a righteous Man", (Luke 23:47). If He had had sin of His own, He could not righteously be accepted for ours; but GOD "hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin", (2 Corinthians 5:21). Just? Yes, if the Sacrifice is Voluntary - "I lay down my life . . . no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself", (John 10:17-18). A willing Victim was He. Just? Yes, if the Substitution is Adequate - a Man in place of another man, even in place of all other men: is that right and fair? No, but you see although He was really man, He was not merely man. Deity was conjoined with Humanity, and that gives peculiar significance, and adequate sufficiency. to His acting as Substitute for all. "If thou be the Son of God" - said His enemies, at Golgotha, (Matthew 27:40). "Truly this was the Son of GOD" - said the soldiers, verse 54. Thus was His atoning death for us a just proceeding: so much so that it would be thoroughly unjust if GOD did not pardon a penitent sinner. And now, further (d) "To forgive. . . and to cleanse" - these verbs are, in the Greek, in the aorist tense, which indicate that they are implemented definitely and decisively in a specific moment of time. The necessity for any subsequent cleansing will emerge in our next paragraph; but this original and eternal benefit becomes ours the moment we believe. So, by the infinite mercy and grace of GOD, we receive a cleansed heart "Oh, for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free; A heart that’s sprinkled with the Blood So freely shed for me." But that does not exhaust the range of this beneficent operation. A Cleansed Walk - "These things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (1 John 2:1). Here we are to grasp the difference between Bathing and Rinsing which our LORD taught His disciples by that striking parable in action, in the Upper Room - "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet", (John 13:10). The two words here rendered "wash" are different words in the Greek, and speak of "bathing" and "rinsing" respectively, as above. The bathing represents that original whole cleansing which we received when first we trusted CHRIST, without which "thou hast no part with [Him]" (John 13:8). At which the impulsive disciple exclaims, "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head" (John 13:9). No, no, Peter - that over-all bath needs no repeating: the first and fundamental cleansing suffices for all eternity; but there is necessity for day-to-day purifying from the dust, and dirt, and defilement of the way. Peter, reader, not your whole being again - but "[your] feet", your walk; and by the same blessed agency of "the Blood". Seek this blest rinsing at the close of each day, if you have not found need for it even before. So the range of cleansing widens. A Cleansed Account - "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous" (1 John 2:1). GOD has, in His mysterious providence, allowed "the accuser of our brethren", (Revelation 12:10), to enter the Court of Heaven against us, as in the case of Job 1:6, and Joshua, the High Priest, Zechariah 3:1; but "we have an Advocate", as we considered earlier in this present Study. Have you come across that beautiful bit of type-history in Nehemiah 11:24, "Pethahiah... was at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people"? Artaxerxes, following upon the policy of Darius, had allowed a number of the captive Jews to return to their own land, specially to build up the broken-down walls of their beloved Jerusalem. He was always interested in them, and concerned for their welfare; and he arranged for Pethahiah, one of themselves, to remain at Court, to be always available for Jewish matters. If His Majesty wanted information relating to the life and circumstances of the people, he could always obtain it first-hand from their representative. On the other hand, if they had some request, some need, they could always approach the king through their advocate "in all matters". What a beautiful picture of our Advocate, one of ourselves, made like unto His brethren, "now to appear in the presence of God for us", (Hebrews 9:24). We have a Heavenly Pethahiah; and we can make our supplications, and obtain our supplies thus "through Jesus Christ our Lord". He represents us there, and presents our petition - be it for Power, for Purity, for Pleasure, for Plenty, or, as in the instance of our particular passage, for Pardon. So we may rejoice in a Cleansed Account, through the mediacy and advocacy of Him Who shed His Blood not only to Make but also to Keep us clean. If we may vary the metaphor, in contrast to our financial position at the bank, it is good, in this spiritual record, always to have our account "in the red" - under the Blood. And now, it is full time to close up this present Study with a final brief word about THE MESSAGE OF CLEANSING "He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). The Bible never allows us to forget others. We who know the Joyful News are under strict obligation to pass it on to other needy souls. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so", (Psalms 107:2), still is in force. Would that we were all like Naaman’s little maid, who knew where her leprous master could find cleansing, and who did not - from innate shyness, nor for fear of being ridiculed, nor in sheer indifference - refrain from telling what she knew. "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy", (2 Kings 5:3). Be ours, then, the happy privilege of telling those stricken with the dread leprosy of sin of the "fountain opened . . . for sin and for uncleanness", (Zechariah 13:1), even from "these wounds in thine hands" (verse Zechariah 13:6). "E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 6: 01.03. THE PASSION OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_2:3-11 ======================================================================== The Passion of The Fellowship -- 1 John 2:3-11 Chapter Three And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him, and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. THAT passion can be put into one word: Loyalty. Our very membership commits us to certain loyalties. When you come to think about it, belonging to any organisation involves standing by its regulations and constitution; and that is no less the case when we come to belong to the Christian fellowship. And when anyone is a really keen member, his loyalties begin to be something of a passion with him. We had better note, in starting, that phrase, "He that saith", which comes three times over in this section - verses 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 2:9; for it is around that phrase that the loyalties are discussed. It is our duty to say; but it is not enough to say. Well now, let us consider, first, our pre-eminent obligation LOYALTY TO THE HEAD OF THE FELLOWSHIP What is it that is here said? - "I know Him" (1 John 2:4). It is the fact that in our relationship with Him, as that between ourselves and others, there are degrees of acquaintance. (a) Introduction - when we are first brought into touch with Him, as our Saviour and LORD: as was Peter when Andrew introduced them, John 1:42. Do you, my reader, know Him thus far? No question in life, on earth, could be of greater moment for an unconverted sinner. What, then, say you? (b) Increase - when, day by day, we are brought into closer touch with Him, as our Master and Teacher: as was Peter when, as one of the Twelve, JESUS "ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth. . . ." (Mark 3:14). For us, that growing acquaintance is acquired by the daily listening to His voice in His Word, by the habitual speaking to Him in prayer at His footstool, by the regular frequenting with Him at His table, by the consistent walking with Him in a life of plain, simple obedience. (c) Intimacy - we are immensely privileged to live in closest fellowship with Him, as our greatest Friend: as was Peter, when, with other two, he was graciously allowed to accompany his LORD to the heights of revelation, in the Transfiguration, (Mark 9:2), to the heights of wonder, in the raising to New Life, (Mark 5:37), to the heights of privilege, in the Garden, (Mark 14:33). Let it be said that JESUS has no favourites, but He has intimates - and you, or I, can be one of them, if we are willing to pay the cost, the full implications of John 15:14’s "whatsoever". Well then, do you say, "I know Him"; and to what degree do you know Him? Wherein, further, shall be found the token of your true loyalty to Him? Obedience is the Test - "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). How scathing John can be - this apostle of love! Just like his Master - Whose gentle lips gave forth those scarifying utterances of Matthew 23:1-39, the Wrath of the Lamb; yet Who closed that terrible chapter with the poignantly pathetic words of the verse Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Conversely, as another indication of the two aspects of the Master’s nature, you have the strange contrast, "Behold, the Lion. . . and I beheld, and lo . . . a Lamb", (Revelation 5:5-6). John, too, could show that sterner side, when "the truth" required it. Indeed, it was that harder side that had previously predominated, as you can see by the nickname that our LORD gave him and his brother James, "Boanerges... The sons of thunder", (Mark 3:17). But long since all that has changed, the HOLY SPIRIT, of Whom He spoke so much in John 14:1-31 and John 16:1-33 of his Gospel, had done the transforming work in his own heart. He who once proposed to call down fire from heaven, Luke 9:54, was now concerned for the fire of the HOLY GHOST - to burn out the dross of sin, and to burn in the pattern of love. It is not for nothing that Isaiah 4:4 describes Him as "the Spirit of burning". Day by Day obedience, then, is the Test of our real, sincere knowledge of Him. Obedience is a Measure - "whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of GOD perfected" (1 John 2:5). If doing what He says is a test of whether we truly know Him, the same token is also a measure of how much we love Him. It is no use a little child saying that she loves mother very much if she doesn’t do what mother tells her. A like attitude shall determine what degree of love we really have for our Heavenly FATHER - whether merely incipient; or whether expanding; or whether full-grown, or "perfect", as it is called here. Fine-grade obedience, full-grown love: the two go together, hand and glove. We sometimes think of our LORD’s words in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments", as a command, - "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments." Of course you will! In the passage that we are studying, the word "keepeth" is a present tense, whose implication is, not just a single, big act of obedience, but a continuous activity of plain every-day obedience - - in little things as well as in big things; - in material things as well as in spiritual things; - in secret things, as in open things. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it", (John 2:5) - even though it be such a little insignificant thing as filling a jar with water - and His blessing shall be upon the obedience. We Evangelicals have placed such emphasis upon the duty and efficacy of Trust - and we cannot stress this too much - that we have sometimes appeared to underline too little the paramount importance of Obedience. Yet, James, and Paul, and John, and even the MASTER Himself, all, in various ways, combine to teach us that the two go together - the two legs on which we progress heavenwards, - the two hands in which we receive Divine blessing, - the two knees on which we practice effectual prayer, - the two eyes with which we discern the unclouded vision of spiritual truth, - the two ears which enable us clearly to hear the voice of GOD in His word, - the two lips with which we may the more effectively declare the gospel of His grace. Think those similes out, and see how truly they do indicate the dual office performed for us by Trust and Obedience in all spiritual experience and advance. The old chorus was exactly right which said, "Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, To be happy in JESUS (to be anything in JESUS), but to trust and obey". All which we have appended to our consideration of the portion of Scripture now in our minds in order to sharpen in our spiritual perspective - the essential quality of Obedience - the Test of our Knowledge, the measure of our Love, the token of our Loyalty to the Divine Head of our Fellowship. Next comes LOYALTY TO THE RULE OF THE FELLOWSHIP What is it that is here said? - "He abideth in Him" (1 John 2:6). As John records in John 15:1-27, our LORD chose a very familiar process of nature in order to press home the fundamental necessity for a believer to "abide" in Him. So close is the relationship that He likens Himself to the Vine, and us to the Branches. Our sharing of the Sap of the HOLY SPIRIT, and our consequent bearing of the Fruit of the SPIRIT, Galatians 5:22-23, depend upon our abiding in the Vine - as He explained in verse 5, "without me [that is, apart from Me] ye can do nothing": nothing in the way of fruit, nor in the way of any Christian excellence. As the token of our first loyalty was the law of obedience, so the mark here is the law of imitation - "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked". That is the rule, almost the slogan, of the Fellowship - "walk, even as he walked." That is the outward sign that we are abiding in CHRIST. The Imitation must be kept in the right Order. It is quite useless to tell anyone who is not a Christian to imitate CHRIST. Even if he could, it would not make him a Christian, any more than an ape aping a man, however cleverly, makes the monkey a man. But, in any case, the non-Christian cannot imitate Him. He must take Him first as his Saviour before he can make Him his Exemplar - otherwise you might as well tell a chair to "walk", as tell a man still "dead in trespasses and sins", (Ephesians 2:1), "to walk, even as He walked". True, 1 Peter 2:21 tells us of the MASTER leaving us an example, "that ye should follow His steps", but we recall that Peter’s Epistles, like all the New Testament Letters, were addressed to Christians - first Christian, then Christ-like: that is the right order. The Imitation must be regulated in the right Manner. Says old Martin Luther, "It is not CHRIST walking on the sea, but His ordinary walk, that we are called on here to imitate" - yes, in the common ways of life. - The little steps of Childhood as He went holding His Mother’s hand; - The bigger steps of Boyhood, as "He went down with them... to Nazareth, and was subject unto them", (Luke 2:51); - The longer strides of Manhood, as He "went about doing good", (Acts 10:38); - The purposeful tread of Saviourhood, as He "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem", (Luke 9:51). As we go through the sacred story, we find His example set before us on every page, in every age, at every stage. And the rule is - as He, so we! It is the safe rule in life - not to follow other people’s example: they may, though inadvertently, let you down, and lead you astray. It is like regulating your watch by another man’s, when all the while his may be fast or slow. Better is it to go by Greenwich Mean Time. So, not what would others think, say, do; but what would JESUS do? There are, of course, circumstances of our modern life that did not fall within His human experience; but, even so, the way He acted then, the spirit He shewed, will pretty well indicate how He would be likely to meet the conditions of our day. We may very happily finish this paragraph with the twofold prayer of a very practical poet of long ago, "Teach me... the way . . . make me to go", Psalms 119:33; Psalms 119:35), which will lead us straight into our next thought: How are we to go His way, to do His will? The Imitation can be achieved in the right Strength. That word "ought" is often a great comfort to men because "o-u-g-h-t" spells "Can"! My scriptural warrant for that is in Exodus 18:23, "If . . . God command thee so . . . thou shalt be able to". No one will deny that we ought to do His will: in that case, let no one doubt that we can. And now He says to us through Paul, "Be ye therefore followers [imitators] of God as dear children", (Ephesians 5:1). The Greek word for" followers", "imitators", is that from which our English word "mimics" is derived - what mimics the "dear children" are! As children, then, of the Heavenly FATHER, let this loyalty to the Rule of our Fellowship, to be increasingly like Him, be an integral part of the Passion of our lives. And now, a third area of the passion must occupy our serious attention LOYALTY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE FELLOWSHIP What is it that is here said? - "He is in the light" (1 John 2:9). Well, we shall not just take his word for it; we shall soon find out if it is really true. The law of love will test the matter. The apostle maintains this figure of light and darkness as representing love and hate. Hatred is of the very kingdom of Darkness. What a terrible picture is given us of the man who hates another. (a) He lives in the dark - "is in darkness even until now" (1 John 2:9). You know what would happen to a flower if it were kept in the dark. Oh yes, it would grow; but it would lose all its beautiful colour, and would come forth a dull, drab thing. Few things make a soul so ugly as a spirit of hatred, an unforgiving, unloving attitude towards another. Dark: what a place to live in! (b) He walks in the dark - "walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth" (1 John 2:11). That is, doesn’t know where it will lead him - his vicious thoughts may lead to violent deeds. John will say presently, 1 John 3:15, "whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer". You never can tell. These vengeful feelings lay seeds that may grow to odious fruitage. (c) He gropes in the dark - "darkness hath blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:11). Such is the inevitable result of perpetually living and walking in the dark - as may be seen in the case of the poor little pit ponies that were used (now largely displaced by machinery) in the coal-mines; there are blind fish swimming about in the darkness of certain subterranean waters. So is this deluded man blind - he can’t see reason; he can’t recognize truth; he can’t find any safety: except in the sincere utterance of a prayer that was blessedly honoured long, long ago, "Lord, that I may receive my sight", (Luke 18:41). Love is of the very Kingdom of Light. How gladsome to turn from the dreariness of the preceding paragraph. All now is completely different. "The true light now shineth" (1 John 2:8) - because you let into your heart and life Him Who said, "I am the Light of the world", (John 8:12); and now, reflecting Him to others, you have been fulfilling His purpose for your life, "Ye are the light of the world", (Matthew 5:14). If that is really so, there is one thing, anyhow, that I know about you - you live in a spirit of love and loyalty to all the members of the Fellowship. This law of love is "an old commandment" (1 John 2:7), not simply new - it was inculcated "from the beginning", that is, of the Gospel. It was an elementary, primary Lesson in the School of CHRIST. It was so obviously and regularly practiced that, as we quoted earlier, even the surrounding pagans had to say, "See how these Christians love one another." But this law is also "a new commandment" (1 John 2:8), not only old - since it is freshly enunciated, from age to age, and even from day to day: the light of each new morning brings happy reminder of the love that is to characterize the succeeding hours. So the passage. has much to tell us about this joyous man. (a) He lives in the light - "abideth in the light" (1 John 2:10). Just as he who dwells in sunny climes, or even spends a summer fortnight by the shining sea, bears the imprint of his dwelling upon his very countenance, so he who abides in Eternal Light cannot but wear the impress upon his whole behaviour and demeanour. Do you know Psalms 34:5, "They looked unto Him, and were lightened"? That’s it: the radiance of love. (b) He walks in the light - "there is none occasion of stumbling in him" (1 John 2:10). This man, unlike his unfortunate counterpart, is able to see the pitfalls in his path, and may thus, if he so wills, avoid them. Moreover, he is in a position to refrain from leaving stumbling-blocks for others. I remember the late beloved Bishop Taylor Smith telling us of an occasion when he was walking up and down a railway station platform, waiting for a train. Thinking of some matter, he carelessly trod on a piece of orange peel, and almost fell: not looking, not, as it were, walking in the light, he met with an occasion of stumbling. Walking on, the Bishop had a sudden, happy inspiration: he went back, and kicked the peel off on to the track, thus ensuring that he should not leave behind him a stumbling-block for others!" "Which thing" - this law of love - "is true in Him, and in you" (1 John 2:8). In Him - how gloriously conspicuous it was, as He trod the ways of men, and still is, as He intercedes for us above. Do you know that vivid poem of Charles Wesley’s, on "Wrestling Jacob", with its concluding stanzas "Contented now upon my thigh I halt, till life’s short journey end; All helplessness, all weakness! On Thee alone for strength depend. Nor have I power, from Thee, to move, Thy nature, and Thy name is Love. "Lame as I am, I take the prey. Hell, earth, and sin with ease o’ercome; I leap for joy, pursue my way, And as a bounding hart fly home. Thro’ all eternity to prove Thy nature, and Thy name is Love." In you - how daily evident it should also be because He "hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light", (1 Peter 2:9). Here, then. we close this Meditation on the believers’ threefold passion: Loyalty to the Head - in the law of Obedience; Loyalty to the Rule - in the law of Imitation; Loyalty to the Members - in the law of Love. May we all be thus utterly loyal members of this Divine Fellowship. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 7: 01.04. THE PROGRESS OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_2:12-14 ======================================================================== The Progress of The Fellowship -- 1 John 2:12-14 Chapter Four I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. THE entrance to the Fellowship is not a stopping place, but a starting place - as in all life, there is to be growth, progress. Some people miss so much for lack of this onward spirit. Like the poor woman who, trudging wearily through the driving rain and icy wind, came at last to the big house for which she was bound. When the door was opened to her she found a great blazing fire in the grate. On the door re-closing she sank down on the mat inside, utterly worn out, and wet through. Get up, they said, and come to the fire and get dry and warm. No, she answered, don’t disturb me, I’m quite content to remain here. Now that you are in the Fellowship, are you content to stay on the mat? Psalms 84:10 says, "I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness", where the idea of the opening phrase would be, "I would rather be just inside the door . . ." Yes, of course, better be only just inside than be left outside; but why stick there and miss all the blessings open to those who venture farther and farther on in the Christian life. I sometimes recall the old refrain. "More and more, more and more, Still there’s more to follow. Have you on the Lord believed. Still there’s more to follow." The poetry is negligible; the fact is immeasurable. There is even danger, as well as loss, in failing to get on. A little fellow had been tucked in to bed, but, after a bit, had fallen out. When mother came running upstairs to see what had happened, and asked however he had fallen out, the child said, "I don’t know, mummie, unless it was I went to sleep too near where I got in." Ah, how many Christians have done that. It’s asking for a fall! The New Testament is full of this idea of progress. Look at Hebrews 6:1, "Leaving the principles . . . let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation . . ." That doesn’t mean throwing the first things overboard but leaving them there as you do the foundations when you are building a house: you don’t need to lay the foundation again, it’s there - now "let us go on", till we reach the completed edifice. Look at Colossians 2:6-7, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, Rooted and built up in Him". There, by the threefold variation of his metaphor, the apostle impresses upon his Christian readers the importance of their spiritual growth: the progress of a walk, the progress of a tree, the progress of a house. And now we have John, by the means of yet another illustration, pointing the same salutary lesson - some have grown in spiritual stature to be as "Fathers"; some are spiritually vigorous "Young Men"; some, for all their physical age, are yet "Little children" in grace. He begins with a general and inclusive remark, embracing all believers, and calling them all "little children" - a different word in the Greek from that used in verse 1 John 2:13. The reason here seems to lie between one or other of two explanations. (a) He is by now an old man, and is in the habit of addressing younger people by this title, as ancients often do. (b) He is writing particularly for those who, as a matter of fact, are his children in the faith - so he uses this affectionate, fatherly, family name. Note how he adds "your sins are forgiven you for His Name’s sake" (1 John 2:12). That is true of every real believer, of whatever age, the oldest, or the youngest, in GOD’S family. We are, indeed, never in the Family unless, or until, that has happened. Oh, the bliss of it, that what we have done as sinners, is forgiven for the sake of what He has done, as Saviour. We repeat, this is true of all Christians, however long or short a time we have been such. "YOU FATHERS" You notice that, led as he is by the HOLY SPIRIT, John begins at the top. Is there, I wonder, anything deliberate about that? Is it that GOD is concerned to place the highest, the greatest, before us at the start before He contemplates for us anything less than the best? Would He have us fix our eyes on the peak of spiritual attainment that we may the more readily overcome the obstacles on the way thitherward; would He have our minds filled at the outset with a Divine discontent with anything lower than His highest? Aspire, then, to be "fathers", with as rapid progress as may be. "Ye have known Him that is from the beginning" (1 John 2:13-14). Twice the description is given. It refers, I believe, to the knowledge of CHRIST, as in the opening of his Gospel (John 1:1), and as in the opening of this Epistle (1 John 1:1). "Known" is an elastic word, meaning much or little according to the context. In our last Study we spoke of the growth in that knowledge - these "fathers" are to be presumed to know much, and to know intimately. They will thus have become aware of (a) His Mind - what He thinks about things; what He purposes about things. They will be conscious of (b) His Heart - so filled with love for sinful men, Romans 5:8, even while hating their sin. They will possess an instinct for (c) His Best - in what His children may have, and be, and do. How immensely fruitful is such knowledge of Him. Paul places it in the very forefront of his deep desire for spiritual understanding. "That I may know . . . the power of His resurrection", the life of the Risen One activating in him. Yes, wonderful! "That I may know . . . the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death", his self crucified with CHRIST. Yes, wonderful! But, firstly, and chiefly, "that I may know Him", (Php 3:10). Paul longs increasingly (do we?), not merely for knowledge of deeper blessing, richer experience - though he will not undervalue these - but for ever deepening, ever closer, acquaintance with his Divine Saviour, MASTER, FRIEND. What constraining impetus lies there. See it, for instance, in Daniel 11:32, "The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits" - such knowledge moves the heart, steels the will, nerves the arm, to adventure for GOD. Ned Weeks, a man uneducated and ungifted, but with a heart aflame with love for GOD and for men, did such a remarkable work in the town of Northampton that they gave him a public funeral, when crowds lined the streets with every evidence of real sorrow as the cortege passed. A stranger standing by, on asking who this was, and why all this demonstration, was given, in the rough vernacular, the explanation, "You see, he was wonderfully thick with the Almighty." Ah yes, he knew Him. To be educated - grand; to be gifted - grand; to be enthusiastic - grand; but grandest of all is to "know Him", for this will over-rule any disability, caused through no fault of our own, and enable us to dare and do for Him. This, then, is the supreme mark of "the fathers", the essential qualification for spiritual parenthood. What a joy it is to have spiritual children, those whom we have been enabled to lead to CHRIST. How Paul rejoiced in being able to speak of Timothy as "my own son in the faith", and as "my dearly beloved son" (1 Timothy 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:1-2), and of "my son Onesimus" (Philemon 1:10). And with what fatherly delight John writes, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 1:4). Covet to be thus a "father", or mother, of many - so to know GOD that you may be able to lead others to know Him. "YOU YOUNG MEN" These Christians are not yet at the top; but they are climbing steadily, and by the look of it they are not so very far off. John has more to say - and very delightful things, too - about this stage of spiritual attainment than the other two. Perhaps these latter are more simply conceived - the beginning of the life, the closing of the life; while those in the middle reaches are more beset with problems. What a famous Scottish preacher, the late Dr. G. H. Morrison, called "The Perils of Middle Age", when preaching on Psalms 91:6, "The destruction that wasteth at noonday". Certainly our young men and women of to-day have more difficulties and dangers to face in these times than were ever our lot yesterday. The whole atmosphere of life is different. Yet, having said that, one reflects upon what was the atmosphere of the world in which these early Christian "young men" were called to live their life and give their testimony. They did it by the same secret as Christian young men can do it still - "not I, but Christ liveth in me", (Galatians 2:20). But, in returning to our passage, we recall to mind that the people to whom John writes are, one imagines, not literal young men, but believers of any age who are young in the faith, who have all the vitality, exuberance, and adventurousness of youth exhibited in their Christian living. Older or not in years, they have a freshness and virility and enthusiasm that proclaims them as the young men and women of the Kingdom. Mark some of their outstanding qualifications. "Ye have overcome the wicked one" (1 John 2:13) - they have undergone many temptations, but overcome them; indeed, recognizing that behind every inducement to sin there lies lurking the sinister personality of "the wicked one", with all the hosts of evil spirits at his beck and call, (Ephesians 6:12), they combat not merely it, but him. There are those who deny the personality of the devil; but not so did the Master, the account of whose wilderness conflict opens with the words, "when the tempter [not just the temptation] came to Him . . ." (Matthew 4:3). Many a contest with the Satanic myrmidons had these "young men" waged, and many a victory they had gained. You see, there is a secret of victory which these had learned - and we shall learn it in a later Study of this very Epistle. It is, alas, sadly true that many third-rate, poor-grade, Christians are living defeated lives: such an unsatisfactory thing for themselves, such a bad example to others, such a poor advertisement for the faith. How different are those spoken of by Paul, in Romans 5:17, that "they which receive abundance of grace . . . shall reign in life". Reign, not over people nor kingdoms, but over feelings, and fears, and circumstances, and habits, and sins. You see, these "young men" are triumphant overcomers, because "Ye are strong" (1 John 2:14) - a weak Christian is a contradiction in terms, for the purposes of GOD never contemplate such a thing. Unfortunately, there are not a few delicate, invalid Christians; and all such should attend at once the Great Physician’s clinic, to discover what is wrong, and to get things put right. Among the common symptoms of this spiritual debility are (a) A lack of good food - seen in the fact of no appetite for the Word; (b) A lack of good, fresh air - the mountain breezes that blow about the footstool of prayer; (c) A lack of good exercise - in the service of GOD. Nowhere is it more certain that idleness is the precursor of illness. How frequently, in both Testaments, do the Scriptures exhort us to "Be strong" - whether in Joshua 1:9; Joshua 1:18, Haggai 2:4; or in Ephesians 6:10. Wherefore, let us heed the injunction, not only for our sake, but for others, since "we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak", Romans 15:1. The description proceeds "The Word of God abideth in you" (1 John 2:14) - here is one of the big secrets for the development of moral muscle and spiritual sinew. All big Christians have been Bible Christians; all who have been greatly blessed to others have been themselves steeped in it. I read in Acts 18:24 of Apollos, that he was "mighty in the Scriptures" - that was, of course, only the Old Testament, and he had much to learn of New Testament truth; but what he possessed him, so that, out of his knowledge of the Sacred Writing, he was able, with eloquence, and with fervent enthusiasm, to teach and help many. Such a grasp of the Bible is not to be acquired easily, or quickly; to begin the day with the, sometimes hurried, reading of the day’s portion is not enough - it is good so far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough. Time must be found, and stuck to, for a regular weekly period of real study in some selected Book or Subject - so that gradually we begin to grasp the Bible, and the Bible begins to grip us. I note again that the Word "abideth" in these virile Christians - it lives there! With some it pays but a brief fleeting visit - that five or ten minutes in the morning, and then off again till next day; but with these it has come to take up its residence in them. They have given it such a welcome that it has come to stay. It has become part of themselves. It is always there to consult, to advise, to cheer. Something of this sense lies behind Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing . . . with grace in your hearts . . ." How that verse reminds me of the late Mr. George Goodman - of ever blessed memory. Often have I heard him at a Question Hour; and always he would begin his answer with a Scripture quotation - the Word dwelling in him richly. And what grace was in his heart! And now "YOU LITTLE CHILDREN" Here is the different word from that used in verse 1 John 2:12 - that being the generic title used by John for all the children of GOD, this the specific name given by him to all who have only just been "born again", or who have not grown in grace since that day. This particular word is used only on one other occasion, in verse 1 John 2:18, one of whose striking implications we shall note presently. "Ye have known the Father" - does it appear strange that the same characteristic is singled out for these as is predicated of the "fathers" (1 John 2:13) - that of knowledge? I think not, when you recollect that this quality is, as we have seen, of an ever-growing nature. It is noteworthy that whereas the "fathers" are said to know CHRIST, as we so interpret it, the "little children" are stated to love the FATHER. But, after all, the statement is close to child psychology, for the little thing, while scarcely aware of other people, has at a very early age a knowledge of Daddy and Mummy. That is a very lovely thing that Paul has in Galatians 4:6, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father" - the HOLY SPIRIT teaching the babe in CHRIST to lisp his first word: the Aramaic word "Abba" does not need teeth to pronounce it! The child in faith does begin to know his Heavenly FATHER - not as his senior knows Him, but he does know Him in his measure. He knows Him as the One to whom he must look for all supplies, and all sufficiencies. I draw your attention to a remarkable statement lower down in this chapter, verse 1 John 2:20, "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things". That will presumably be said concerning the "fathers"? - No, although it would be true of them. Concerning the "young man", then - No, although it would be true of them also. It is actually used of the "little children" in the faith. To paraphrase the version, without violating the truth: You, even you Christian children, have the HOLY SPIRIT within you, and you are thus in a position to get to know all things that it is necessary to know for your spiritual well-being and well-doing. Yes, even the little children in grace - (addressed in verse 1 John 2:18) for the word here is the one used elsewhere only in verse 1 John 2:13. The fact is that every believer, whatever be his grade of spiritual growth, has open to him this inexhaustible source of information and inspiration to fit the demands of his conditions and circumstances. Even the youngest, in knowing the Father, may know all that is needful. Oh, then, to be continually growing in the uninterrupted progress of the Fellowship. To the just converted He says, "As new-born babes, desire the sincere (unadulterated) milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby", (1 Peter 2:2). To the unsatisfactory Christians, who are making no progress, He says, "I have fed you with milk (still), and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able", (1 Corinthians 3:2). To those who are happily going on with GOD He says, "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus . . . and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be perfect (full-grown), throughly furnished unto all good works", (2 Timothy 3:15-17). How dependent we all are upon the Word of GOD, the importance of whose study we stressed on an earlier page. We cannot close this Meditation without referring to the all-round progress of our LORD in His earthly life. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man", (Luke 2:52). That is, He grew (as man) mentally, and physically, and spiritually, and socially. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 8: 01.05. THE PERILS OF FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_2:15-29 ======================================================================== The Perils of Fellowship -- 1 John 2:15-29 Chapter Five Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him. SOME people have imagined that, on becoming a Christian, everything will be easy, and plain sailing, till they reach the Heavenly Harbour. Alas, in the disillusionment, and consequent reaction that follows, faith has had a rude shock. Yet a moment’s reflection might have safeguarded them. Before their conversion, they were swimming down-stream, going with the tide, floating along on the current of public opinion and practice; but now they have turned ("converted’) and from that moment they have been swimming up-stream, against all that they, with the others, had formerly held and believed. Opposition, even antagonism, becomes their experience; and they begin to realize that perils - some open, some hidden - lie in the Christian’s path. Our passage deals with some of them, and hints at others. But let us go back, for consideration of the first of them, to the closing words of our last Study. FROM BENEATH "The wicked one" (1 John 2:14). Don’t be surprised that you have now attracted his attention. Time was when he did not bother you overmuch; but all that has now changed. I have learnt something interesting about professional burglars. I am not talking about the petty breaking and entering, nor about the smash and grab merchant, but of the real thing. I have discovered that before he cracks a crib he makes it his business to find out all about the place first, and that he never carries out his plan unless he is pretty sure that there is something there worth taking. Our LORD says that the devil is "a murderer", and that he is "a liar", John 8:44. May we venture to add that he is a burglar. Once he let you alone, for you had little worth his stealing; but now that you have moved from your old house, "in Sin", Colossians 3:7, and have entered the new dwelling, "in Christ", Colossians 1:2, you have so much worth taking - a peace, a power, a joy, a reward, a blessing, a crown, Revelation 3:11, which he would rob you of, if he can. Not that he cares very much about you and your loss. What he is out for is, through you, to hurt GOD - as he did with his then agent, Saul of Tarsus, who was injuring the Christians, and who heard the heavenly accusation, "Why persecutest thou Me?" Acts 9:4. By the way, ye Church members, forget not that he, or she, that touches one of the LORD’S own, touches Him! The devil is not omnipresent - since he is not GOD. It is not he personally that attacks and tempts everyone of us. Naturally, he went in person to confront our LORD; but in the case of most of us he uses his varied agents - "the devil and his angels", Matthew 25:41. If he is tempting you, he can’t be tempting me at the same time, for he cannot be in two places at once. When he does himself appear, it is often with strangely mixed characteristics - as a "serpent", Genesis 3:1; as a "lion", 1 Peter 5:8; even as "an angel of light", 2 Corinthians 11:14. It is even possible for him to use the LORD’s own people, even the best of them, even an apostle, as his tools - as when the Master so urgently chided Peter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan", Matthew 16:23. May we never, never lend ourselves to his iniquitous designs by leading any into sin; by leading others astray into false teachings that have no warrant of Holy Scripture; or by living inconsistent lives, to cause the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme. The devil is not omniscient - for neither does he share this characteristic with Deity. Nevertheless, the range of his knowledge seems to be quite unique. Judging by the variety and subtlety of his temptations, he appears to possess a wonderful acquaintance with human nature - playing, now upon our weaknesses, now even upon our very strengths. So that it is not for me to judge another man for his falls - his temptations are not mine, any more than mine are his. With knavish ingenuity, he knows how to bait his line for the luring of us poor fish! In all seriousness, let me point to another example of what I would call his masterly intelligence - in the realm of Spiritism. The supposed appearances of the beloved dead at seances are often fraudulent trickery; but by no means always so. The really sincere spiritualist is more anxious than anyone to get rid of the fraud; but all the same I believe that he is unwittingly playing with fire, in the face of such prohibitions as Leviticus 19:31, and Deuteronomy 18:11. I think there can be no question that "appearances" of spirits do occur; but I put it to all interested that they are not the departed spirits of dear ones, but evil spirits impersonating them. "Try the spirits", 1 John 4:1 will presently say to us: mention to them the name of JESUS, and see what will happen, verse 1 John 4:3. But how is it that these "familiar spirits" are familiar with the little tricks and oddities of the old friend that has been summoned up? I suggest that the almost omniscience of Satan is the answer. We do not know what goes on in the mysterious deeps of the Beneath world; but we may not be far wrong if we hazard the guess that in that "wicked one’s" army headquarters plans are made, and information is handed out, as the emissaries of evil go forth to enslave the minds and ruin the souls of men. No, not omniscient; but he knows a rare lot! The devil is not omnipotent - as GOD is. Strong he most certainly is; mighty, but not almighty. His power is far beyond anything that we ourselves can oppose to him. It is because of the fallacy that our pride entertains of our being a match for him in ourselves that we are so constantly defeated - but of that more anon. It is enough for the moment to recall, with uttermost thankfulness, that in the peril that comes to us from Beneath, we have at our call the "Stronger than the strong", Luke 11:22, who will assuredly see us through to victory. Napoleon used to say, "Never underrate the power of the enemy", and he should know! We have thought it well here to follow his advice. FROM AROUND "The world" (1 John 2:15-17). One of the members of the unholy trinity, a triumvirate of evil, set in array against the blessed Holy Trinity, to accomplish, if may be, our downfall. So we are now to consider another of the perils of the members of the Fellowship. Its Nature - had better be clear in our minds. Whatever it proves to be, it is spoken of as an evil thing, so that we can at once rule out certain aspects of it: (a) It is not the world of Matter, as such - a form of false teaching at the basis of Gnosticism, a heresy which greatly troubled the early churches, e.g., the Colossian Epistle. GOD could not have become incarnate because matter was innately evil. His only way of contact with the human world was through a descending gradation of aeons. Of course, the Bible doctrine of the creation of the material world can have nothing to do with this abstruse and, as we should say, perverse teaching concerning our world. (b) It is not the world of Nature - true, this is not now what it once was in its pristine glory, for it bears grievous scars of the Fall of man, as Genesis 3:17-18 said it would. Yet how filled with beautiful things and places it still remains. There is no evidence of its being inherently evil. (c) It is not the world of Humanity - as such, that is here alluded to, and that John 3:16 refers to when it tells our wondering hearts that "God so loved the world". (d) It is all within the world that is alienated from GOD - whether it be people, or things, or influences. Though it is a quite different avenue of temptation from that of the devil, he yet has a good deal to do with this also; for, is he not, as the Master described him, "the prince of this world", John 14:30, and referred to in another place as "the god of this world", 2 Corinthians 4:4, curious, even mysterious, utterances, but true as the Word is true. Its Danger - the peril is not always recognized, so subtle is it. After all, what harm is there in doing this, going there, thinking that, saying the other; and, while we dally, the harm is done. This verse makes plain that the world draws away our love from the FATHER: you can’t have both. Many a Christian has found that profoundly true. He has seen no need for a life of separation from the world, and while discovering himself more and more embroiled in it, he has realized that his love for GOD, and for GOD’S things, has been ebbing fast away - his old keenness for the Bible, the Prayer Meeting, the Worship, the Sunday has gone; he is rapidly backsliding from grace. Sometimes, though with increasing rarity, a wistful mood is on him, and as he thinks back upon the simple happiness of those old days, he may ask himself, with Cowper, "Where is the blessedness I knew When first I saw the Lord?" Ah, we can tell him where it is - it has been thrown away into the world. Would GOD that he would return, and, in deepest penitence for his stupidity and sin, go on to say "The dearest idol I have known, Whate’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy throne And worship only Thee." Do you recall Paul’s poignant lament from prison, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world", 2 Timothy 4:10. What heartbreak such as he have, down the years, caused to those that loved them and hoped so much from them. I wonder what was the particular aspect of worldliness that was the lure of Demas? John Bunyan, you remember, in "Pilgrim’s Progress", thought it was money - the silver mine. How many erstwhile godly souls that has tripped and trapped! Its Manifestations - there they are, set out for us in 1 John 2:16. (a) "The lust of the flesh" - evil desires emanating from the lower nature. What call is here for watchfulness in the realm of thought, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ", 2 Corinthians 10:5 - arresting, as like a policeman would, every unlawful intruder into the mind. (b) "the lust of the eyes" - evil desires entering through eye-gate. How many robbers of men’s purity and peace have slipped in through that unguarded entrance. "When the woman saw . . .," Genesis 3:6. "When I saw . . .," Joshua 7:21. "When he saw . . .," 1 Kings 19:3. "When he saw . . .," Matthew 14:30. (c) "the pride of life" - vain-glory of life: evil desires arising out of the urge for wealth, position, comfort, power. Many a man has been brought down spiritually when he has climbed up materially. Money is not wrong, in itself; but the love of money is: that, says 1 Timothy 6:10, is - "the root of all evil", a "root of every kind of evil". Such, then, are the worldly characteristics, of which we must beware. Its Duration - "the world passeth away" (1 John 2:17). It is not one of the eternal things. "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal", 2 Corinthians 4:18. Gone will be the world, in the great earth catastrophe of 2 Peter 3:10, and the believer, "[abiding] for ever", will have been transported to a sphere where he will no longer be troubled by the "lust thereof". Roll on, blessed day! But we have not done with our perils yet. FROM WITHIN "the flesh" (1 John 2:16). We have already included a reference to this source of danger in our last section; but we feel we must return to it, and take further, and deeper, cognizance of it. You see, it is one of the protagonists in the constant conflict in the arena of the soul. Look at Galatians 5:17 - "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh . . . so that ye cannot do the thing that ye would." The Christian at his new birth became a two-natured being, and the two are "contrary the one to the other". The flesh is the old sinful nature, with which we were born, and which we inherited from Adam’s fall, and which we retain till we get to the other side, when we shall lose it, as we shall also "the lust" of the world, to which we have just referred. The SPIRIT is the new nature, with which we are born again, - the HOLY SPIRIT, Who Himself takes up His abode within the believer. John 14:17 - all which we have elaborated in our second Study. It is the SPIRIT’S warring that ensures the victory, so that "ye cannot [rather, need not] do the things [the wrong things] that ye [otherwise, without Him] would". Let us not forget that in this "flesh" - and note that Paul does sometimes use the word in reference to the component of the human body, Galatians 2:20 - is the Christian’s most insidious peril, against which we must be ever vigilant. That is a striking phrase in Siegfried Sassoon’s poem which runs, "In me the tiger sniffs the rose". FROM ALONGSIDE "Antichrist," (1 John 2:18) - the verse says that there are "many" such now, leading up to one outstanding evil personage at the close of the age. What has this not easy passage to tell us concerning this last of the perils that we have to beware of? Consider the presence of such - members of the Christian body for a time, they have now disclosed their true nature, and departed, to work their evil works upon the Church from outside. "They went out from us, but they were not of us" (1 John 2:19). Many a defaulter has been spoken of as a backslider when, in reality, they never had been Christians at all. Like those that Peter speaks of, "It is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire", 2 Peter 2:22. They never were sheep, though they were thought to be. Now the veneer was off; and in their reversion to type, they were seen to have been dogs and pigs all the time. A following of righteousness proves their new birth (1 John 2:29), a wallowing in unrighteousness shows they never were truly "new [creatures]", 2 Corinthians 5:17. Consider the meaning of such - the "anti" means not so much "opposed to", but "instead of". One author’s illuminating comment is, the word "describes one who assuming the guise of CHRIST opposes CHRIST . . . the anti-christ assails CHRIST by proposing to do or to preserve what He did, while he denies Him". The church of John’s day had grave need to be warned of this danger; while the church of our own day has equal need of the same. Movements and teaching professing to be Christian who yet "[deny] the Son" (1 John 2:23) - some deny His Deity, - some deny His miracles, - some deny His virgin birth, - some deny His Word, - some deny His atoning death, - some deny His bodily resurrection, - some deny His personal return. Anti-christs, the lot of them! They preach another Christ than the One revealed in the New Testament - another Christ, which is not another, to adapt Paul’s language about those who, similarly, preach "another gospel, which is not another", Galatians 1:6-7. There is, can be, no other - there is but one Gospel, one CHRIST. When first we came to the study of this section, we thought it was concerned with a matter of vital importance for those early believers, but had little relevance to us; but it has appeared, as we went along in our investigation, that "even now are there many antichrists" (1 John 2:18). Consider the danger of such - "them that seduce you" (1 John 2:26). So often these people are individuals of such charming manners, obvious enthusiasm, delightful personality, high intellectuality, that they put you completely off your guard. Ponder some of the Christian Scientists, the Spiritualists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that you have come across. How their courage and assiduity put us Christians to shame! All the more seductive are they because they seem, only seem, to base their teaching on the Bible - in truth they wrest the Scriptures, 2 Peter 3:16, and so are ever "beguiling unstable souls", 2 Peter 2:14. Consider the conquest of such - we come again to our glorious possession of the "Unction" (1 John 2:20). He, too, the great Teacher, in the face of false teaching, the great Safeguard, in the presence of dangerous doctrine, will take you, for your guidance, to the Holy Scriptures; and, if you are willing to accept and obey His word, you shall be led aright, for "If any man will do [wills to do] His will, he shall know of the doctrine [the teaching], whether it be of God", John 7:17. Such recognize the truth when they see it (1 John 2:21). We have spoken earlier of the Bible as the believer’s Diet, making him strong. Here we find it as the Christian’s Disinfectant, keeping him immune from all the "ism Diseases" floating around in the spiritual atmosphere alongside him. The same HOLY SPIRIT is spoken of also as the "Anointing" (1 John 2:27) - and the believer is assured that even if he is in a lone position, where there is not "any man" to whom he can turn for guidance, he shall yet find his way, because the SPIRIT will teach him independently of all human help. No man available; but He is always at hand, for He "abideth in you", never to be withdrawn. Yet He can, and will, be silenced, if one cease to "abide in Him" (1 John 2:28). This abiding of ours is obeying; and so long as we continue to "do" the truth (not as in 1 John 1:6), we shall not only be in a position to know the truth here, but we shall "not be ashamed before Him at His coming." - Never to have answered His knock, - Never to have acknowledged His name, - Never to have engaged in His service, - Never to have reflected His character - then we may well be ashamed to meet Him; but if, by an implicit reliance upon His HOLY SPIRIT, and a simple obedience to His Holy Will, we are carried through all our problems and perils, we may, in spite of our personal unworthiness, look forward with glad anticipation to Titus 2:13 ’s "blessed [happy] Hope." What a golden future awaits Fellowship members "As this old worn-out stuff, which is threadbare To-day May become Everlasting To-morrow." -- J. Collins. Well may we adopt the words, though used in another sense, of George Meredith - "the rapture of the forward view." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 9: 01.06. THE PORTRAITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_3:1-3 ======================================================================== The Portraits of The Fellowship -- 1 John 3:1-3 Chapter Six Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself. even as he is pure. MOST of the scholars are agreed that the two main sections and subjects of this Epistle are: (a) 1-2: Light; (b) 3-5: Love. Which being so, we shall find the prevailing emphasis of these three chapters is on this second Attribute of GOD, and Requirement of His people. It is striking to note that within the compass of these sixty-six verses, the Noun occurs sixteen times, the Adjective five times, the Verb twenty-five times. Love is indeed the theme; and as love is so strangely violated by so many in the Fellowship, this portion of the Word may carry much blessing as we study it together. I hope I shall not be held too facile, or too fanciful, in suggesting that these present verses give us an essay in Christian portraiture. It is one resemblance that we see, taken from three angles. THE FAMILY LIKENESS "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD" (1 John 3:1). GOD doesn’t call every man a son of GOD, though some men do. His statement, through Paul, exclusively to believers, is, "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus", (Galatians 3:26). Or, as our Epistoller says, writing as Gospeller, "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name", (John 1:12). So, reader, and writer, are we, by this token, really children of GOD? Then, think of - The amazing love - "what manner of love". Not for any worthiness, or attractiveness, of our own, seeing that it was "when we yet were without strength (helpless to save ourselves) . . . while we were yet sinners (repellent to holiness) . . . when were enemies (actually antagonistic to His grace)", (Romans 5:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:10), that GOD set His love upon us. That is a remarkable word that is translated, "what manner of". They tell me that its root significance is not so much of what kind, but of what country, which the learned Dr. Vincent confirms. What an impressive effect that has on the other passages where it is found - for instance: (a) "What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him" (Matthew 8:27) - of what country: not an earthly, seeing He has such authority, surely He belongs to another clime. (b) "This Man, if He were a prophet, would have known... what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner", (Luke 7:39) - of what country: in their self-righteous superiority, they would not allow her to claim fellow-citizenship with themselves; surely she belongs to some nether region, beneath their recognition. (c) "Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be", (2 Peter 3:11) - of what country: a land beyond the skies, we are as pilgrims, travelling thitherward through the alien country of this present world. And now (d) "What manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us", verse 1 John 3:1 - of what country: no earthly kingdom contains, nor could cultivate, a love of such sweet quality as this: only the dews and breezes of the Heavenly expanses could ever produce so bountiful, and so beautiful, a harvest. The established relationship - "that we should be called the sons of God". What a privilege is this, to be numbered amongst the elect, and select, people of God, to be incorporated into the eternal Family of the Most High, to be grafted into the blessed Fellowship of CHRIST and His Church. It is well to be reminded that Family, and Fellowship go together. There are special difficulties arising from being an only child in a family, which problems frequently arise in the case of those who fail to recognize that while we are "born again" one by one, we are not saved to live and serve in isolation, but in community. To be brought into the family of His children is to be brought, at the same time, into the fellowship of His Church. Let us make much of our church membership, and seek to avoid, where possible, the spirit of free-lance Christianity. You remember the story of the old lady who, watching her son’s regiment march by, exclaimed, "Look! our Tom’s the only one in step!" Beware of that attitude in spiritual things. It is one of the dangers of rigid, and rabid denominationalism. How we thank GOD, then, for our Divinely granted relationship with Himself, and with our fellow Christians. The expected resemblance - The children should bear some resemblance to the Heavenly FATHER. "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us", (Ephesians 5:2); "Be ye holy, for I am holy", (1 Peter 1:16); "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect", (Matthew 5:48). Even the people of the world expect professing Christians to be a little Christ-like, and accuse us of the lack of it. Do you observe a hint of that in the last clause of this first verse? "therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." Put that round the other way, and say that if the world knew Him, it would recognize the likeness in us. Here is a boy I know, who has very distinctive features, who one day introduces me to his father - then I discover where he gets that mouth from, that colouring, that nose, etc. Like father, like son! It is a solemn, and salutary, question for each believer to ask himself: How far am I like Him? There is another form of portraiture for us now to consider, what I would venture to call THE PHOTOGRAPHIC LIKENESS "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). "Beloved" - the apostle uses the greeting in no formal way: others may employ the word in a quite perfunctory manner, but not he. This man with a heart full of love embraced all in a feeling of real affection. Some time ago I was staying with Bishop J. H. Linton, and during those few days, he said, more than once, a simple little thing that greatly impressed me - "You know, I love people". You could see he did; you could see John did. I think the Bishop’s "J" ought to be John, but alas, it isn’t! Well now, what about this photographic likeness, which the apostle longed to see reproduced in these that he so loved. What is required in order to get it? A Prepared Plate - "Now are we the sons of God". Only so are we properly prepared, and susceptible to the reception of the image. In an ordinary photograph. it is no good expecting anything from any untreated piece of glass - it must be scientifically got ready for its special purpose. The spiritual preparation is covered by that part of our second verse that we have quoted at the opening of this paragraph "now are we the sons of God". No delay - "now". We haven’t to wait till the end: we are now the possessors, the inheritors, of this amazing privilege. No doubt - "are". There is no perhaps, or maybe, about it. We do not just think, or merely hope, we know we are. John wrote his Gospel in order that "ye might have life", (John 20:31). He wrote this Epistle in order that "ye may know that ye have eternal life", (1 John 5:13). Some people say that it is very presumptuous to speak with such certainty; but - which is the more presumptuous, to believe GOD’s word, or to doubt it? No difference - "We". Every real Christian can believe it, whatever little progress in the SPIRIT he may have made, however little knowledge of GOD he may have gained. "We" Christians - old and young, wise and foolish, important and insignificant, all of us, because it is not of our merit, or achievement, but entirely of His grace, can count it true that "now are we . . ." That, then, is the all-over covering of the plate of our being, that makes us ready to bear the likeness. But let us analytically examine the spiritual chemistry here, and see what are the component elements that make up this receptive quality. I think they are mainly three: (a) We are born again so that our very nature is completely changed; so that we are no longer, as it were, ordinary glass. (b) We are washed in the Blood - so that our very hearts are cleansed from the defilement of sin. (c) We are indwelt by the SPIRIT - so that our very lives are possessed by the power for holiness. These are the blessed ingredients which are included within this potent preparation of the plate for Divine portraiture, our being "sons of GOD". Now for the next step A Momentary Look - "We shall see Him as He is". We spoke earlier of the damage that one look can do to the soul; but here is a quite different result of just one look, effecting immortal transformation in the soul. I have seen some lovely sights in my time: - a distant view of the rolling hills about the Devil’s Dyke in the downs behind Brighton; - the sight of a J. C. Gibbs racing for the line at Twickenham to touch the rugger ball down behind the goal posts, quickening a sportsman’s pulse to race with him; - a look at the immaculate cricketer, Jack Hobbs, executing with such precision that mighty sweep to leg which used so often to open his innings; - a ravishing observation through a powerful microscope of one of nature’s tiny marvels - the exquisite beauty and order of a snow-flake, or an insect’s wing; - the look through William Wordsworth’s eyes at a hundred beauties and wonders of land and sky - about Keswick country, and beyond; - the moving sight of a great congregation rapt to catch every syllable of the preacher’s message. Many such sights, and many more, have stirred my heart. But-but-I am going to see presently one sight that will eclipse them all: "we shall see Him!" What an indescribably lovely thing that first sight of Him is going to be. What a purifying impression it is going to make. Some folks tell us - how strange that the Bible doesn’t mention it - that the fires of purgatory are needful to make us fit for the holy presence of GOD; but those who come unbiased to this verse of the Epistle will discover that one look, one momentary look, at Him will be gloriously sufficient to transfigure the least and the lowest into a perfect presentment of the Saviour. The lens of the camera takes a momentary look, its plate has been duly prepared for the occasion, and lo - An Instantaneous Impression - "We shall be like Him". If you know anything about your own "deceitful" heart, (Jeremiah 17:9), you will acknowledge this to be one of the outstanding marvels of His Advent appearance, that you (yes, you), and I (yes, I) are to be, in a moment, changed into the perfect likeness of CHRIST. Is this really feasible? It was as if the HOLY SPIRIT, Who inspired John to write, knew that you would find this difficult to believe, and so led him to put this thing up against the things we don’t know. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be" - what sort of resurrection body shall we have; what degree of memory shall we carry over into the next life; how shall we recognize there, in their transfigured form, those whom we have loved down here. It is not for our good that we should know these things, and many others, or they would have been revealed. But, says John, in effect, I’ll tell you what we may be certain about. Lots of things about the future we don’t know; but two things we do know. (a) "He shall appear" - in spite of all the wishful thinking of the sinner, in spite of all the unbelief of many a teacher, in spite of all the ridicule of the impious, in spite of all the disregard of the pre-occupied, He shall appear: oh, glorious day! (b)" We shall be like Him" - we find it hard to accept, as we have said. Too good to be true, we have felt. Put all that aside, as unworthy of one who should be accepting all that He said as right, rest your soul on this His unbreakable, unshakable, promise, and, with a gay heart, look forward to the miracle. One sight of Him, and the photograph is taken. Ay, but we are not there yet: what shall we do meanwhile? THE ARTISTIC LIKENESS "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). The artist, in order to secure his picture, works so differently from the photographer. He has his model, he paints or chips patiently away, until he is able at last to present his finished study. There is nothing of quick accomplishment for him, but a going on, and going on. So it is here with our third photograph in mind; and, once again, three things contribute to its success. The Big Incentive - "Every man that hath this hope in him". This hope of His Return. How strangely mistaken are these people who suppose that the Advent Hope has no practical value for decent living, and encourages idle star-gazing. Observe any Christian man or woman who really believes in the Second Coming, and I venture to say you will find in either of them holiness of life and busyness of service. The thought of meeting Him is one of the biggest incentives of the spiritual life, with its constant reminder, "Be ye also ready", Matthew 24:44. Look at the word "hope" for a moment. In the New Testament it always means a certainty. It is not, "I have not got it, but I hope I may", but "I have not yet got it, but I know I shall", that is certain. The approaching Advent is a sure thing. He might also notice the little word, "in", which easily means "upon", followed by a capital "H". The A.V. looks as if the phrase means that the man has his hope within him, in his own heart; but the real meaning is quite different, and runs this way, "every man that hath this Hope set upon Him". The hope is not, in any sense, resting upon ourselves; but upon the unchangeable CHRIST. It is that which gives it the certainty that it assuredly possesses. And now we see that to hold this truth of His Return is to impart to life a great desire, and decision, to endeavour to represent Him now in our character and conduct. For now, in this artist’s attempt, we have The Perfect Model - "even as He is pure". What a perfect, and, if left to our own resources, what an impossible Model to copy. Yet, as we learn from 1 Peter 2:21, CHRIST has left us "an Example, that ye should follow His steps". It has often been pointed out that the word here translated "example" is the word for a "copy-head". My older readers will remember the old days ["the good old days"?] when we were taught how to write by those means. An automatically inscribed adage was at the head of the page - "A Stitch in Time saves Nine", "A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush", etc. - and we had to copy it line by line down the page. It was always noticeable that our effort deteriorated as we got farther away from the headline. Such is the picture Peter employs, with the impressive lesson, that if we would make a decent copy we must take care to keep close up to the Head. Of the man who wrote these very words we read, "But Peter followed Him afar off", (Matthew 26:58) - he followed, but far off; that’s why he made such a mess of his copy-book! Let no distance separate between you and Him - nothing of sin, to blot the page; nothing of self, to spoil the script of your behaviour; nothing between; to diminish your resemblance to Him, in the holiness of your life, in the happiness of your soul, in the helpfulness of your actions. "Let it be seen that with Thee I have been, JESUS, my LORD and my Saviour. Let it be known I am wholly Thine own, By all my speech and, behaviour." That leads us on to consider The Growing Portrait - "purifieth himself". But I thought it was He, not we, that did the purifying work. Yes, you are quite right. Why, then, "purifieth himself"? See that piece of soap? That is a rare purifier: but only if you take the trouble to use it. Then you will say that you washed yourself. Yet really it was the soap: you only wash yourself when you use the means provided. Just so is it with the purification of this verse. The HOLY SPIRIT is the Divinely provided Means - He does it. Our part is to use the way that GOD supplies - in that sense, we do it. Look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "We all, with open face [nothing between us and Him] beholding as in a glass [the mirror of the Word] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord". You see again it is, primarily and fundamentally, He that does it. We do it only by employing the cleansing agent of the Word, as our LORD Himself says, in John 15:3, "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you"; and as our very Epistle has told us, 1 John 1:7, "the Blood of Jesus... cleanseth". Notice once more "cleanseth", a present tense, "purifieth", same tense - it is a continuing thing. To return to our illustration of the portraits, this is the gradual appearance, day by day, of the likeness - "from glory to glory". Expecting to "see the King in His beauty", Isaiah 33:17, how anxious we shall be to keep clean, to grow increasingly like Him. Wouldn’t you be ashamed if, on being commanded to a Royal Audience at Buckingham Palace, you found that you had got splashed with mud on the way. So does James 1:27 warn us that part of "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this . . . to keep himself unspotted from the world". Well now, to recapitulate, if we are sons and daughters of GOD, we are expected to exhibit something of the Family Likeness; one day we shall be transformed into His perfect likeness to Him, even in the conditions of this world, and in the circumstances of our own personal environment, "more holiness give me, more likeness to Thee", as the hymn says. So - what sort of a portrait are we? On visiting a friend’s house, we have sometimes gone into the drawingroom, and picking up a photograph from the mantelpiece, have said, "Who’s this?" And we have been chided for not knowing, "It’s so and so." "Why, I shouldn’t have known him." Another occasion, we have taken up a photograph and exclaimed, "Isn’t that exactly like him?" Tell me, what sort of a portrait are we of Him? "May others see JESUS in me", we sing. Well, do they? A missionary was telling the story of JESUS - how kind He was, how gentle, how good, when a little heathen child said, "Please, that man used to live here." Of course she was mistaken; but, you see, some while before a man lived in her village, so kind, so gentle, so good, that the child, when she heard about JESUS, thought at once that that must have been he. What a testimony to him! What a portrait of Him! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 10: 01.07. THE PURITY OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_3:4-9 ======================================================================== The Purity of The Fellowship -- 1 John 3:4-9 Chapter Seven Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins: and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. FOR all the emphasis of this second part of the Epistle upon the subject of love, it can’t avoid tackling the subject of Sin, the very negation of love. Over and over again, throughout the letter, the matter crops up - either in its negative aspect of sin, or in its positive aspect of holiness. Our present passage takes up this positive side, and discusses for us the whole question of purity of living for the believer. For the believer, notice; because the verses and truths are not for the non-Christian. The very words will be as a foreign language to him, but the real Christian, though he may not understand it all, will be able gratefully to enter into much of it. So he finds his purity - AS PROVIDED IN THE LORD The standard set - is the point of verse 1 John 3:4, "the law". However you may define or interpret that word, I think you will not be far wrong if you regard it as GOD’s will, GOD’s will, for His people. There it was, set up for His people Israel at Sinai, when first they were welded into nationhood, this was the covenant law of their Theocratic kingdom, Exodus 20:1-17. And now, away on into the New Testament, here is a keen young man, who comes to ask the MASTER, "What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). For answer our LORD sets up before him the same law as He said elsewhere, "This do, and thou shalt live", (Luke 10:28). And if we want to know the inner meaning and clear summing up of the law, we have only to listen again to the MASTER, as He interprets the "Thou shalt", and "Thou shalt not", by "Thou shalt love". Taking up the two sections of the commandments, He shows the way that to keep the first four, Our Duty towards GOD, is, "Thou shalt love the Lord . . . with all thy heart... soul... mind", and the observing of the last six, Our Duty towards our neighbour, is in the injunction, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself", (Matthew 22:36-39). "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets". There it is, "the law". Unfortunately, the people of the world are sitting more and more loosely these days to the Ten Commandments. They want none such. "Why can’t we do as we like?" they ask restively and rebelliously. May GOD preserve us from all such throwing off of moral and spiritual restraint that keeps us sane and sober, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). More adulteries, more divorces, more suicides, more murders, more scandals - do as we like? No, thank you. Rather we pray, "GOD save the people!" Ah, but some will remind me of Romans 6:14, "Ye are not under the law, but under grace". So what? Does that mean that I need no longer heed the law? Paul himself, in the next verse, asks the very question, and energetically repudiates the suggestion - "Shall we sin? . . . God forbid". The very conception of sin, in this verse, is that it is a exhibition of a dispensing with law - "whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law". It is the violation of the law of our being, the law which includes our threefold relation, to GOD, to others, and to ourselves. Surely, the point of the Romans statement is not that we have no further obligation to keep the law, but that we have now a new incentive to keep it. Law tells me that here is something that I ought to do; grace is that which so fills my heart that I want to do it. Law is Love’s gift; Love is Law’s keeping - that says the LORD, in His Word, and in my heart, is the way grace revolutionizes the whole matter. With what ecstasy does the Psalmist exclaim, "O how love I thy law . . .", Psalms 119:97. And now comes the uncomfortable reflection, "But, you know, you haven’t kept it!" We are forced to acknowledge ourselves guilty before GOD, (Romans 3:19). And that is one of the three gracious purposes of the Law, which lie behind that great saying of Galatians 3:24, "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ". Three great lessons it taught us, (1) We ought, (2) We haven’t, (3) We can’t. So our very helplessness drives us to CHRIST, who alone has Himself kept the law, and who alone can put us fully right ("righteous") with the law - "that we might be justified by faith", as the Galatians’ word continues. How ready we are, then, to be brought unto CHRIST in Whom we find - The failure met - "He was manifested" (1 John 3:5; 1 John 3:8) for that very purpose. Long "before the foundation of the world", (1 Peter 1:20) - before there was a world, before there was a race, before there was a sin, GOD knew what would happen, and what would be the unhappy plight of the men that should be, and in the Council Chamber of Deity a plan of salvation was drawn up to meet the situation that would arise. And now, in process of time, appeared the Divine Executant of the Plan of Grace. This was the prime cause of His being "manifested" among men. He did other things incidentally shewing us the FATHER, John 14:7; leaving as an Example, 1 Peter 2:21; and so on. But the fundamental reason for His becoming Man was, as 1 Timothy 1:15 so clearly teaches us, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, [This is a true story!] that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .", Or, again, "The Son of Man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost", (Luke 19:10). And how did He do it? Verse 1 John 3:5 hints at the answer. "To take away our sins" - His precious Blood is the Sovereign Eraser of all our guilty stain. The blood of the Old Testament sacrifices could not do that - "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins", (Hebrews 10:4), could not remove them, but only cover them. That is what the root of the word "atonement" really signifies. Strangely enough, it is the word that is translated "pitch" in Genesis 6:14, and is used of the ark’s covering, thou "shalt pitch it within and without with pitch". It is an Old Testament idea; and the word does not properly occur in the New Testament - the one exception is in Romans 5:11*, and even there the word "atonement" is the same as "reconciliation". The word, then, means covering, and the fact effects reconciliation. Old Testament believers were covered by the blood of their sacrifices until the time for the shedding of the blood of the One Eternal Sacrifice, which should "take away" their sins. Is that not what Romans 3:25 means, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" - believe, sins of past ages, or, again, Hebrews 9:15, "he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament . . ."; there it is again. His death, His Blood, were retrospective in effect. Calvary has no date. Abraham, Moses, and the rest, will be in Heaven with you, and for the same reason, "the Blood of Jesus Christ" - shed in grace, and love, "to take away our sins". *Baptist Bible Believers Editor’s Note: Paul in Romans 5:11 states that "we have NOW received the atonement" - NOW that Christ, the promised Messiah, has died and shed His blood for our sins (of which the OT sacrifices were just a picture), now we receive what was only pictured and prophesied in the OT. What the blood of animal sacrifices could only cover, Christ’s sacrifice for sins has taken away forever. See John 1:29. "In Him is no sin" - that was more than just a fact: it was one of the fundamental necessities of the whole transaction. As we saw in an earlier Study, "the Lamb of God" is the fulfillment of the lambs of old; and as they must be certified to be stainless, "without blemish" (Exodus 12:5), so He must be declared to be sinless, "I find no fault in Him". (John 19:4), If He had sin of His own, He must die for Himself, and could not be justifiably eligible to die for others. Thank GOD, in Him is no sin; but on Him was all sin laid, Isaiah 53:6. At the pivotal point of the world’s redemption, GOD brought all the sin that ever was, and laid it upon Him; and GOD brought all the sin that ever shall be, and laid that also upon Him - "laid", made to meet on Him the iniquity of us all. "That He might destroy the works of the devil" - here is a second purpose for which "the Son of God was manifested", here among men. This is one of the reasons for Deity taking Humanity. "He that committeth sin is of the devil" - Augustine’s comment was, "The devil made no one, he begot no one, he created no one; but whosoever imitates the devil [i.e., by doing sin, as he does] is, as it were, a child of the devil, through imitating, not through being born of him". Did not our LORD JESUS say the same thing, when, addressing His enemies, He declared, "ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do". John 8:44. The MASTER, then, made it His aim to "destroy the works of the devil" - I am greatly tempted to paraphrase "the works", and call it "the workings". The scholars may not allow that as a translation: I only offer it as a rendering of what seems to me to be the intention of the word. But look at that other word, "destroy". Is it to be understood as referring to that yet distant day when "the devil and his angels", "the devil and all his works", shall be utterly done away? Revelation 20:10. Thank GOD for that coming Day of Final Triumph; but has the word some relevance for us here and now? Is there any sense in which He may be said to "destroy" his works in the present? There is another New Testament passage in which the word occurs which, in my own view, justifies us in giving the word the meaning "render void", "make inoperative", almost "draw the sting". Examine it, then, in that other passage, Romans 6:6, "Knowing this, that our old man [the man of old; the man we used to be - Evan Hopkins] is crucified with Him, that the body of sin [the body as the medium of sin] might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin". It is evident, isn’t it, that the body is not literally destroyed; but it is part of GOD’s plan for us that the body be "loosed" (the Greek word translated "destroyed") from its tendency to serve as sin’s instrument, Romans 6:13. Transfer that now to our Epistle, and I think you have its true significance. It is one of the beneficent results of His Cross that, for those who take advantage of it, He has drawn the sting from all the workings of Satan, and that, however he may fulminate, or fascinate, he is powerless to affect the believer, unless we are so foolish as to yield to his persuasions. At Golgotha was fought the greatest battle of the ages, and the devil was completely conquered. He remains our bitter foe; but he is a beaten foe - never forget that. After the abolition of slavery there were many Negroes who were unaware that freedom had been won for them, and who consequently still suffered from, in many cases, cruel bondage: their masters knew all right, but their slaves didn’t - and so they were exploited. As is many a Christian, untaught in this great truth, exploited by his most cunning slave driver. The act of emancipation has been promulgated; but if we, through ignorance, indolence, or inadvertence, fail to act upon it, Satan, quite aware of the true position, is diabolically clever enough to keep us "tied and bound with the chain of our sins". So has our gracious GOD provided, "in Christ", for the believer’s purity. Now let us see that AS PRACTICED IN THE CHRISTIAN Here, in verses 1 John 3:6-7, we see the beginnings of the high doctrine that John has preached being worked out in practice. In the first of the two verses we have two Present Tenses that are of exceeding importance in the Christian life. (1) "Abideth" - the New Testament attaches such value to this abiding that it would obviously be to our great profit to try to discover what is its actual significance. It is one of the big secrets of abounding fruit, "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit," (John 15:5). "Abiding is abounding," as the late beloved, epigrammatic, Taylor Smith used to say. It is one of the big secrets of effectual prayer, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you," (John 15:7). Both specific undertakings on the part of the covenant LORD, which He will, without fail, bring to pass, provided that we, on our part, fulfil the condition: "abideth". And now we have it again in John’s Letter, as one of the big secrets of a holy life, "Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not". Ah, yes, we simply must try to find out what it means - and I am going to suggest something very matter-of-fact, something common or garden. When I was looking into the subject, I was greatly struck with those words of the MASTER in John 15:10, "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love" - as if obeying were abiding! Anyhow, if they are not to be thought to be synonymous terms, at least it may safely be assumed that the one is, from one angle, the sign, and, from another angle, the sequel, of the other. Are you abiding? You are not sure? Well, are you obeying? Yes? Then, you are abiding. Let us eschew the seeking for some metaphysical, emotional, mystical explanation; but, rather, apply this simple test. I think we shall be not far wrong. Look now at our second Present Tense. (2) "Sinneth not" - the tense of the Greek verb satisfies us that the meaning is not, committeth not an occasional act of sin, but continueth not in an habitual practice of sin. The former is, alas, not uncommon even in Christians - we do commit acts of sin; and this apostle has made allowance and provision for that fact - when, in 1 John 2:1, he wrote, "If any man sin . . .". But the point here is different: it is, a life of sinning. An act of sin, in a believer, is serious enough; but a life of sin is immeasurably blameworthy. Of course, a life of plain, simple, day-by-day, step-by-step obedience would safeguard any Christian from any such presumption; while a continuance in that sordid way should cause him to question whether he had actually ever "seen" or "known" Him personally for himself. We come on, in verse 1 John 3:7, to another of our Present Tenses "Doeth righteousness" - we have left the negative, and are now at the positive. Everyone acquainted with the New Testament Epistles is aware of the distinction between imputed and imparted righteousness. The moment we believe, our sins are cleansed through His precious Blood, and our souls are clothed with His spotless Righteousness. This is the sense of the word, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 1:30, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of GOD is made unto us . . . righteousness". We are reckoned as righteous - because we are now, no longer, "in sin", but "in Christ". But then comes the necessity to live a righteous life. Even as in Romans 1:7 and 1 Corinthians 1:2, says we are "called to be saints." There is, as you are aware that we are called to be what we are. Reckoned as righteous, our life has consistently to correspond thereto - we are to "[do] righteousness." Let no man trade on his standing before GOD, in imputed righteousness; but let him earnestly look to his state before men, by the imparting of the HOLY SPIRIT, even as the LORD was ever righteous, not only in innate nature, but in His daily walk with men. Be not deceived into imagining that, while conversion is of importance, conduct doesn’t matter - you’ll get there in the end! Will you? And now, in verse 1 John 3:9, we go on to consider Christian purity AS PERFECTED IN THE BEHAVIOUR This is one of the most difficult portions in all the New Testament; but here it is in the course of our expositional enquiry, so we must not shirk or shelve it. After all, it is part of the Word of GOD, and it is written for our learning. It has a meaning for us, a message for us, so that we must now humbly try to find out what was the SPIRIT’S purpose in leading John to write such words. I offer three reflections upon the verse: It States a Fact - "born of God". This describes every reader to whom the Epistle was addressed: birth is the beginning of life, new birth is the beginning of the new life. How surprised Nicodemus was when our LORD said to him, "Ye must be born again". That was understandable for a man in the gutter of sin; but he was not that sort - brought up in a godly home; early taught the Old Scriptures; growing to be an office-bearer in the church; and now the leading Bible expositor of his day - "a master of Israel." Yet, in spite of all this, our LORD tells him that, to all intents and purposes, he had not begun - "ye must be born again". It isn’t only the bad people, but the good people as well, who "must": you "must". Is this great, eternal fact a fact in your own personal experience? You see, the members of the Fellowship are not only Servants, Soldiers, Subjects, but Sons. The simplest explanation of how this comes about is, I believe, in John 1:12 - "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name". When we do, for ourselves personally, receive the LORD JESUS into our hearts and lives as our own Saviour and LORD, that moment we are given this mysterious, life-changing "power" of new birth. How vividly some Christians can recall the day, and the circumstances, when it happened; how sadly others regret that they cannot put their finger on any precise moment. I fancy it was for the comfort of these latter that the closing words of our new-birth verse were added - "even to them that believe on His Name." You don’t personally know your physical birthday - you’ve been told, and you have taken it for granted; but, date or no date, you know you are alive! Even so, although you do not know the date of your new birth, you do "believe" -which proves that you really are a child of GOD. The blessed fact is your fact. It Shows an Effect - "He cannot sin". But writing to the same group of people he said, "If any man sin", 1 John 2:1, as if he can! Once again the explanation lies in the use of the tenses. the "if" clause is in the aorist, and means to commit an act of sin - which even a Christian can do. This clause is in the present, and means to continue in a life of sin - which a Christian cannot do. Verse 1 John 3:6 said he does not; this verse 1 John 3:9 says he cannot. Apart from the possibility of an occasional stumble along the way, the main trend of his journey is, all the while, in purity and holiness. But, of course, that "can not sin" is a claim of so sweeping a nature that we seek for some justification for it; and our verse does not fail us. It Suggests a Secret - "His seed remaineth in him". We shall have additional remarks to make when we come to chapter 1 John 5:18; and for the moment we confine ourselves to what is said here. Well, then, "His seed" - that is, GOD’s seed - "remaineth in him". Note 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible . . ." This new Seed, new Life, new Nature, abides in him, and therein lies his secret against sin. You have the same thought of the two natures remaining within the believer in Galatians 5:17, "the flesh . . . and the Spirit . . .", as we considered earlier. The "born of God" people are thus two-natured persons; and it is the new-nature, the new "I", of Galatians 2:20, that "cannot sin". Do you recall that strange word of Paul’s in Romans 7:20, "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me". When any sin eventuates, it is the old nature, the flesh that does it; the new nature, the now real new "I", "cannot sin". Of course, this is given to us only as an explanation, not as an excuse - there is no reason why it should happen. A rubber ball cannot sink - unless it is held down. We must not let our old, sinful nature get us down! There we will defer the matter, until we take it up later in that further verse I mentioned just now. So does our Heavenly FATHER make due provision for the purity of His sons and daughters, leaving us without excuse if we fall into unclean ways. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 11: 01.08. THE PRACTICALITY OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_3:10-18 ======================================================================== The Practicality of The Fellowship -- 1 John 3:10-18 Chapter Eight In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. CHRISTIANITY is so intensely practical. It never allows us to forget that if it does not "work" it is spurious. "Faith without works is dead, "(James 2:26). Not that works are the cause of salvation, but they are the consequence of it, as Paul is led to tell us, in a classic passage, "Saved . . . not of works . . . unto good works, "(Ephesians 2:8-10). At the end of his birthday a small boy was a-bed when an uncle came in with a belated present - a clockwork engine. How pleased was the little fellow, and how eager for the morning, when he could see how it worked! That is one of the special blessings of Monday Morning - Sunday has brought you some special blessing, and next day is your first chance to see that it works. "Shew forth His salvation from [Mon-] day to [Satur-] day", says Psalms 96:2. "Work out your own salvation", says Php 2:12 - "your own", because you received it from Him, and now, by His indwelling, He enables you to work it out in practice. In the section before us, Paul takes up certain subjects which he has already dealt with - righteousness, love, sacrifice, kindness. Only now, he treats them, not theoretically, not I emotionally, not doctrinally - but practically. I remind you of what we saw in 1 John 1:6, where our apostle speaks of those who "do not the truth". You see, truth is not merely something to be believed, something to be preached, but something to be done. All doctrine ends in done. On, then, to our verses. RIGHTEOUSNESS IN ACTION Throughout the New Testament, there is always this insistence on the practical. Colossians 2:6 - "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" - we are to walk what we talk. Romans 1:7 - "Called to be saints" - we are to be what we are. John 13:17 - "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" - we are to do what we know. Matthew 7:21 - "not everyone that saith . . . but he that doeth"; Matthew 23:3 - "they say, and do not" - we are to practice what we say. So we are not surprised to find the same emphasis in 1 John 3:10 - "whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God". We are not only to be righteous, but to do righteousness. Herein lies one of the great differentiations between "the children of God" and "the children of the devil". Whatever a man professes, if you find that he neglects the doing of righteous acts, the walking in righteous ways, you have every right to assume that he is not a righteous man, not a Christian. He may be one, of a very poor and unsatisfactory sort, but there is no evidence of it; and as "by their fruits ye shall know them" it is more than likely that they are not "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord", Isaiah 61:3, at all, however beautiful their "leaves", Matthew 21:19, of profession may be. "Manifest", therefore, the reality of your testimony by the fruits of good living, "that He might be glorified", as the Isaiah verse finishes. But there is here something very striking. There is not only one class of people - as is asserted so often, in a certain circle, who say that we are all GOD’s children. Here, in the inspired record, Is plain division and distinction drawn, through the ranks of human society, "children of God" and "children of the devil". Paul had inferred the same thing years before, when he described the condition of those who were then Christians as having "in time past" been "children of disobedience", and "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:2-3), before they became, by New Birth, "children of GOD." Indeed, did not the Saviour Himself accuse His adversaries, "Ye are of your father the devil", (John 8:44)? Note next that: There are not three classes of people as if, not belonging to either of the two divisions, there were some middle-of-the-road position, a kind of neutrality. Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation", should suffice to guard anyone from resting upon such a supposition. Those who reject shall not escape; but to neglect is, in effect, the same thing - for in either case we have not got it. One commentator on this Epistle, has drawn attention to the fact that "John divides the world sharply into two classes. Looking at the spiritual characteristics of life he admits no intermediate class. For him there is only light and darkness, and no twilight. He sees only life and death." May we venture to add - only white or black; no gray. Thank GOD, There is a choice of class for all people. In the field of life there are only wheat and tares, and the latter can never have change of heart and nature to grow into the former category. They must remain unalterably, inexorably, the same "until the harvest", Matthew 13:30, of Barn, or Burning. But what is impossible in the natural world IS gloriously possible in the spiritual realm. Though born, as we all are, into the bad family, as Psalms 2:5 will not allow us to forget, we can be born again into the good Family and Fellowship of GOD. Only remember that anyone whose life is not set to do righteously is manifestly not of GOD. LOVE IN ACTION Love is more than an emotional thing - it is intensely motional, especially in that highest form of it of which Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "The love of Christ constraineth us": such love urged him on to "do exploits", Daniel 11:32. Love must do something, must give, in costly measure. Was it not so with GOD Himself - "For God so loved . . . that He gave . . .", John 3:16. Love is a fundamental thing - "This is the message that ye heard from the beginning" (1 John 3:11). Though so little grasped, it is in reality one of the first, basic lessons in the Primary Division of the School of CHRIST - like "A.B.C.", or "Twice Two are Four", in the ordinary school. From the very beginning of their discipleship, as one of the First Steps in Christian Life Grammar, they had been instructed "that we should love one another". And that is the case with all who have ever entered His school at all - as Paul puts it in another connection. "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him", (Ephesians 4:21). And is not that apostle saying the same thing when he writes, "Learn first to shew piety at home", (1 Timothy 5:4). "Piety" there is love in action, and it is to be one of the priorities of Christian behaviour - it is a fundamental. It is an old Lesson, which has been taught to scholars ever since the School was opened, and newly taught to every new boy, or new girl, ever since, 1 John 2:7-8. Love is a natural thing - as between brethren. That is an unnatural family in which the boys are constantly quarrelling, and even thoroughly disliking each other. So it was with Cain (1 John 3:12). He couldn’t stand young Abel, the "good boy" of the household, while he was the "bad lad". Really nasty people often hate really nice people - "because" their very excellences show up their own depravities. How Judas hated JESUS. This is why real, all-out Christians should "marvel not... if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13). What we should be surprised at is to find Christian "brethren" acting in an unbrotherly way towards their fellows. Alas, alas, alas - a not uncommon thing - in many congregations. "Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?" (Acts 7:26). Yes, Moses knew right, and spake true. It is, indeed, a natural thing that we Christians should show a mutual affection - not only by avoiding wrongdoing to all, but by seeking well-being of each. Love is a practical thing - as this whole passage so clearly and so constantly underlines. The fact of this frequent stress shows what importance GOD, the HOLY SPIRIT, attaches to it. Though there is high and deep sentiment in love, it is not merely sentimental. The true assessment of its quality lies, not in what we say, but in what it leads us to do. Take this, for example - "If ye love Me, keep My commandments", (John 14:15.) If we really love anyone their wish is a command; and we may say of them as this Epistle says of the LORD, "His commandments are not grievous", (1 John 5:3). A stranger met a small girl carrying her little brother and said, "What a burden you’ve got there." To which the child replied, "This isn’t a burden, it’s my brother." A load gladly borne, almost bereft of weight, because she loved. That is love’s way. Love is an evidential thing - the possession of it will indicate for us something of very great importance, which it will cause us to "know". Do you want to know whether you have passed from death to life? Here is one mark by which you may test yourself - "because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). This is not the cause of the translation, but a sign of it. It is not without significance that, before "death" and "life", the Greek of the phrase, has a definite article in each case. It is not ordinary death that is meant, but "the" death - that which entered into human experience at Eden, and whose dread entail has since become part of the very being of us all, the make-up of our human personality. "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men . . .", (Romans 5:12). It is that particular kind of death which characterizes, and stigmatizes, every unregenerate soul as being "dead in trespasses and sins", (Ephesians 2:1). It is that state which, unrepented of, is the prelude of eventual and eternal "second death", (Revelation 20:14). Ay, but there is a blessed alternative - "the" life: that special species so often described as "eternal life," and of which the Master was thinking when He said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly", (John 10:10). Well now, have we been transferred from that death to that life? Here’s a simple test by which we may "know" - Love! Incidentally, it is also the evidence, the test, by which the world may "know" where we stand - "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another", (John 13:35). So we observe that, on top of everything else, this practical love has great evidential value - to our own hearts, and to the estimate of others. SACRIFICE IN ACTION Here, indeed, is love at its highest - to the limit of an active self-sacrifice. Two persons, as it were, are involved in the narrative - "He", and "We" (1 John 3:16). His Example is Paramount - "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us." This is not the expiatory aspect of His death - in that we could never have a part - but the exemplary aspect of it. We might, not unprofitably, stay a moment at that word "for" in this verse. In connection with the relationship to us of His atoning death, two quite different Greek prepositions are translated "for", and they have entirely distinct meanings. To illustrate, look at these two seemingly contrary verses - (1) "Who gave Himself a ransom for all", (1 Timothy 2:6). (2) "To give His life a ransom for many", (Matthew 20:28). Well, which is it: all, or many? As so often in Scripture with apparently contradictory statements, the answer is, Both; and the solution lies in the different prepositions used in the original. The first "for" means: on behalf of - indeed, He died on behalf of all. The second "for" means: instead of - in very truth, He died instead of many, not of all. One of the teachings that the devil hates is this doctrine of what is known as the Substitutionary Atonement. Alas, there are many preachers to-day who reject it. Whereas it seems to me that the Bible is shot through with it. But - do you see the distinction between the two "for"? Let us take a simple illustration. A half-dozen people, non-swimmers, are fallen into the sea, and are in peril of drowning in the dangerously rough waves. A man, at grave risk to himself, gets a boat out. By prodigious efforts, he manages to haul two into the boat and take them to safety. On going back, exhausted, for others, he is himself engulfed in the waters, giving his life on behalf of all six, but instead of the two - the four lost their own lives, his was not given instead of theirs, though on behalf of them. Is that clear? In our verse, the preposition is "on behalf of" us. In the second half of the verse we have a corollary. His Expectation is Clear - "we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren". Not, of course, in dying for them, as He did on the Cross, but in living for them, as He did in His life. There is a further interesting grammatical point arising here. He "laid down" is in the Greek tense which signifies that it was done once for all, at a specific moment, as is so abundantly clear throughout the Epistle to the Hebrews - as, for instance, in Hebrews 10:12, "after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God", as token that the sacrifice was complete: in His own word, "Finished", John 19:30. All that talk in certain circles about "the re-offering of the sacrifice" at Communion time is entirely unwarranted, in the face of Holy Scripture. When we turn, in our verse, to we "lay down", we find a different Greek tense, the present, which signifies, not a "once for all" transaction, but a continual process. Our minds go at once to the challenging words of Romans 12:1 - "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of GOD, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice . . .". His mercies exhibited in His laying down His in death for us is to be the motive, the incentive, to our laying down our bodies in life for others. The figure is drawn, of course, from the Old Testament sacrifice of the Burnt Offering, the only one of the five in which everything was offered, nothing being kept back. Our offering of ourselves is to be exactly like that, with the one exception, that, whereas they became dead sacrifices, ours is to be a living sacrifice - a complete laying out of our lives in the service of GOD, and of "the brethren". And that brings us on naturally to the last thought in this passage. KINDNESS IN ACTION Here is love in homespun - the doing of the little things, the giving of the cup of cold water in His Name, Matthew 10:42, the small touches that can mean so much. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that kindness can be a great evangelizing agency - you say you can’t work, you can’t speak; well, can you be kind? A smile, a word, a touch - such things can be as seeds, which, in many an instance, have produced a golden harvest in a truly converted soul: the first impression having been made, the first inclination aroused, by some simple act of kindness. Wherefore, "be ye kind one to another", (Ephesians 4:32). Perhaps that would be a good way of beginning to win your next-door neighbour to GOD? First, then, we have The Need - "his brother have need" (1 John 3:17). It is one of the many lovely characteristics of the Master that need was so powerful a magnet, drawing Him alongside - water couldn’t keep Him away, Matthew 14:25; bolted doors couldn’t bar His coming, John 20:19; in an earlier day, fire couldn’t prevent His approach to them, Daniel 3:25, and "this same Jesus", living and loving as of yore, is drawn by our need. But the point of this passage is, are we so drawn, for there is plenty of need around. "We couldn’t care less" is, unfortunately, the attitude of many from their own selfish ease and comfort. Needs of body, needs of heart, needs of mind, needs of circumstance, needs of soul - well, what about it? We have here, next, The Heed - "whoso. . . seeth". There is a certain force about that verb as if to suggest something more than a mere, casual, passing glance, registering nothing particular in the observer’s mind-like the "certain priest" in the Immortal Parable, Luke 10:31. The victim is shown as "stripped... wounded... and... half-dead": need indeed. But this was nothing to the reverend gentleman, he never gave it a second thought. I used to think that, going to his duties in the Temple at Jerusalem, he was afraid that contact with this seemingly dead body would ceremonially disqualify him from his priestly duties, which would have been the case - until I noted that he was not going up, but that he "came down", his term of office was done, Luke 1:8. He just didn’t care: that was all, he took no heed of desperate need. It was different, possibly worse, with the Levite following. He did take the trouble to cross the road, and have a good look at him, but he did nothing either - "poor fellow", he would say, sentimentally, as he "passed by". Well, do you know anything about that kind of attitude to need? So our verse carries on to suggest The Deed - not commending the "shutteth up bowels of his compassion", but rather hinting at the reverse, and, as it were, applauding the wholehearted deed of the Good Samaritan, who "when he saw him, he had compassion on him". Unknown, as he was; unattractive, as he must have looked; unremunerative, as he was perforce bound to be; unfriendly, as "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans", John 4:9 - yes, he had plenty of reasons for passing by on the other side. So had our Saviour, the Ideal of the Good Samaritan, Who "when we were yet without strength . . . while we were yet sinners . . . when we were enemies," died to save us, Romans 5:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:10. It was not as if the man in our Epistle was in no position to help, for he "hath this world’s good" - he could, but would not. A certain "sermon-taster" had heard that a celebrated preacher was to be in a local church; but, not knowing which one, he spent most of the service time going unsuccessfully from place to place. At last he reached his target, with the great name placarded outside. As he approached, they were singing, and anxiously he wondered whether it was the hymn before or after. Putting his head inside the door, he asked someone, "Is the sermon done?" To which he obtained the suggestive reply, "No, it’s got to be done." We hope it is not irreverent to hazard the view that that story would greatly have appealed to the New Testament writer who said, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only", James 1:22. After all, the concluding verse of this section (1 John 3:18) sums up the whole matter of the practicality of the Fellowship when it says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." So be it! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 12: 01.09. THE PROOFS OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_3:19-4:6 ======================================================================== The Proofs of The Fellowship -- 1 John 3:19-24; 1 John 4:1-6 Chapter Nine And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. IN 1 John 4:1 we have the word "try". It is a technical word, used of the testing, or assaying, of metals to see if they ring true, or are up to standard. Our passage provides us with certain formulae whereby we may test the realities of things, certain proofs whereby the members of the Fellowship may discern and differentiate between the genuine and the false. Note that phrase, "Hereby we know" - it comes here four times; and on each occasion it introduces what is the acid test of truth. THE TEST OF THE TRUE SOUL "Hereby we know that we are of the truth" (1 John 3:19) - that we are truly His. Let us not start testing others; we don’t know their hearts, only GOD does. But let us be thorough and fearless in testing ourselves. How then are we to know this? The phrase apparently connects up with what has just been said in the previous verses, and refers to the possession and practice of a loving Christian spirit. "If our heart condemn us" - if we are conscious of some partial, or momentary failure in the Christian temper, what then? Does that mean that we no longer love Him, and have forfeited our right to His Name? The fault must, of course, be confessed, and repented of, and thus be forgiven; and then we may leave the matter with GOD. Who is "greater than our heart, and knoweth all things" - Who, because He understands, undertakes. Do you recall that poignant utterance of Peter, in that after-breakfast interview with his Risen Lord. Whom he had so basely denied - three times then he quailed, three times now is he questioned as to the real nature of his love. At last he breaks out with the heart-broken words. "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee", (John 21:17). Yes, in spite of it all, the MASTER knew - and still knows, though we fall, if our love is true: the not falling is the test whereby we may know. "If our heart condemn us not" - it is evident that the word "heart" is meant to be taken almost as the equivalent of conscience; and it is presumed that that conscience is in a good condition. Let us beware of supposing that conscience is the voice of GOD, as some people assume. It is certainly His gift to man, like all other elements of his make-up but, like the fingers that can steal, or the feet that can stray, this function also can go sadly awry. Under the stress of conscience many evils and cruelties have been perpetrated, as in times of religious persecution, as in the case of Saul of Tarsus - "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus" (Acts 26:9). It is good to find this same man, now in his regenerate days, declaring, "herein I do exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men", (Acts 24:16). Our conscience, then, can be seared, by doing despite to it; it can be silenced, like your alarm clock, if you persistently disregard its morning summons; it can act ignorantly, if it be not educated by the teaching of the Word of GOD - "ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures", (Matthew 22:29), says the MASTER to His foes. John Milton has a vivid metaphor for conscience in his Paradise Lost, he calls it "the umpire of the soul." All we cricketers know how mistaken an umpire can be, through ignorance of the Laws of the Game, for instance. Let us, then, be careful to train our conscience by continually exercising ourselves in Bible truth. A sensitive conscience is one of the best blessings that a man can have - and the members of the Fellowship in our verse 1 John 3:21 are presumed to possess that quality, and finding themselves held innocent by that exact inquisitor, they are "[assured]" (1 John 3:19) of the "true" verdict of the Great Judge. THE TEST OF THE TRUE INTERCESSOR Nothing of all the activity of the members of the Fellowship is of greater importance than this ministry of intercession; and because, for the due exercise of it, we must depend so largely upon GOD, we read "Hereby we know that He abideth in us" (1 John 3:24). Here is the guarantee to us of the truth of that sublime benefit: "The Spirit which He hath given us" the Divine Donation vouchsafed to every Christian, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His", (Romans 8:9). And the special relation of the Divine Third Person to our life of true intercession is seen in this same chapter of the Roman Epistle (Romans 8:26), "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us". Think, then, of some of the striking things that He has here caused John to write for the guidance and encouragement of GOD’s true intercessors. The Statement - "whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him" (1 John 3:22). That is a sweeping assertion; but, nevertheless, let us be quite confident that the "[receiving]" is all right if the "[asking]" is all right. The "whatsoever" is here stated; the "howsoever" is implied - a right asking is concerned, not only with the matter, but also with the manner. Let us mark at this point that there is a stage of spiritual development in the experience of the true, Spirit-guided intercessor in which he may be sure that his prayers shall be answered. The Condition - "because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight". It is a truism that GOD always keeps His promises: we may put our finger - indeed our whole being - on it, and rest upon His fidelity to His pledged word. But, wait! Before you are in a position to do that, you must remember that almost, if not quite, without exception, the promises of GOD are not unconditional, and their fulfillment is dependent upon such conditions. Promise and proviso go in pairs - if we keep the second, He will keep the first. There are several conditions attaching to GOD’s gracious undertaking to answer our petitions. What is, perhaps, the chiefest of them is the one that is enunciated here - the all-important "because"! It all depends upon our attitude towards Him: an obedient conduct, and a pleasing behaviour. A prayer that is acceptable and answered is dependent, not on diligence, nor on eloquence; but, quite simply, on obedience. The Explanation - is to be noted of, what John implies in his use of that word "commandments". Lest we should suppose that if we do not keep the Ten Commandments, our prayers will be neither heard nor heeded, he hastens to explain what he means. "This is His commandment" (1 John 3:23) - notice that, though he is citing two, he conceives them as one, as if they hung together. "Believe" Him; "love" others - the first the source of the second; the second the sign of the first. Here is the twofold secret of His manifold answers. The Atmosphere - in which effectual prayer flourishes is now stated, "dwelleth in Him, and He in him" (1 John 3:24). How true it is that we never really know people until we live with them. Residing there, we get to know their mind about things, and instinctively realize what we might ask for. Suppose you were "fond of a glass", and discovered that the people you had gone to live with were staunch teetotalers - you would know, wouldn’t you, what you must not ask for? I hope this is not a ribald illustration of the point we are at in our present study. GOD has allowed our deeply privileged intimacy with Him to be described under the figure of two "dwelling" together - "he in Him, and He in him". It is in this wondrous nearness that "we have the mind of Christ", (1 Corinthians 2:16), and become aware, as if by instinct, of the things He would have us ask for, and so: "whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him". Reader and writer: shall we pray for one another that we may attain to such a fruitful understanding of the Divine mind? THE TEST OF THE TRUE SPIRIT There are many spirits abroad in the world to-day angling for our adherence and allegiance; and there is a type of Christian, ill-instructed in the Scriptures (which, incidentally, the wrong spirits misquote ad lib.), who are only too readily gullible to every front-door exponent of false teaching - only too liable to "believe... every spirit" (1 John 4:1). Apparently, it was very much the same in John’s day; and, under Divine guidance, he offers the members of the Fellowship (now, as well as then) an acid test whereby the real nature, whether true or false, can be determined. "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God" (1 John 4:2). Try this next time they come to your doorstep! What, then, is the Test? "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not . . . is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4:2-3). For many years this passage troubled me, because I could not see why such tremendous issues should hang upon so simple a thing as the acknowledgment that JESUS CHRIST was an historical personage. Of course He was: even these false spirits will agree to that. Secular historians, quite independently of the Bible - Josephus, Pliny, for instance - record the fact. Before giving you my conviction, let me remind you that "JESUS" is the Name of the Master’s Humanity, and that "CHRIST" is the title of His Deity, the Divine anointed One come to be the promised and predicted Messiah, Saviour, and KING. Do you see now what I am driving at? Yes; this is the suggested meaning behind the verse, "Every spirit that confesseth that JESUS is CHRIST come in the flesh..." An acknowledgment, you see, of His Deity. Chapter 1 John 5:1 of the Epistle supports my interpretation, doesn’t it? And the first and fundamental test of every spirit claiming to be of GOD is, "What think ye of Christ?" (Matthew 22:42). If you are satisfied that they believe that He was more than a wonderful, remarkable Man, more than a unique Man, the Best ever, that, indeed, they confess to a belief in His true, real, complete Deity - then you can proceed to a further examination. If they do not hold this belief, this passage justifies you - even instructs you - to close the interview. Waste no further time! What, then, is the believer’s attitude? One of hostility, and of victory. Not through their own cleverness is this to be; but by a threefold secret (1 John 4:4). (1) A relationship - "ye are of God." You are His, and, therefore, on His side. Even if, in your own circumstances, you stand alone, the only real Christian, facing opposition, engendered by these ungodly spirits, you may remember that even "one with GOD is a majority". (2) A result - "ye... have overcome them". Of course, because His is the winning side; and if you keep faith with Him, He will keep faith with you. What joy! What thrill - to be on the Victory Side. The sign whereof is not a "V", but an empty Cross! (3) A reason - the Divine indwelling. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world". Because the Victor abides in us, we can be victors over all the powers of darkness, and his emissaries "in the world". THE TEST OF THE TRUE TEACHER Here the apostle passes over from the spirits of anti-christ to the persons in whom they are manifested; or, if you like, from the teaching to the teacher. "Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 John 4:6). The two orders of teachers may be recognized each for what they are in themselves, and by the spirit with which they are imbued. Examine these teachers, then. The Test is not Popularity. The false teachers may attract to themselves great congregations, they may enjoy a good press, they may get satisfying preferment, and may be reckoned as highly successful - so runs the record, "the world heareth them". Of course, popularity is not necessarily a sign of falsity. Many a true teacher has been a popular preacher; and some of the biggest congregations to-day are ministered by faithful pastors. We are only saying that a big following is not, either way, the proof of a sound teacher. The worldling preacher (1 John 4:5) is "of the world" - his standards are those of the world; his viewpoint is surprisingly worldly; his power is largely vested in worldly attributes; his appeal is pretty much to the world. "Therefore", they are popular there. The members of the Fellowship will not be misled; they will be on their guard against measuring true success by so erroneous a test. The Test is, after all, Spirituality. These teachers are not worldlings, but godly. GOD is their aim, their message, their power, their joy. The world turns from them with scorn, if not with amusement, and rates them Bible-punchers. Bible preachers they certainly are, who rest on the Scriptures, not "wrest" them, 2 Peter 3:16, as the false teachers do; for, as Shakespeare knowingly reminds us, "the devil can quote Scriptures to his purpose" - though he generally gets it wrong, as in Matthew 4:6 compared with Psalms 91:11. "He that knoweth God heareth us" (1 John 4:6), claims the apostle - the congregation recognizes the accent, and at once perceives the truth. This is beyond us, says the worldling, what is the man driving at? This is of GOD, says the heavenly citizen, we would know that speech anywhere. If you, my reader, are a preacher, or teacher, would this not be a proper yearning of your heart: "O that it might be said of me, Surely thy speech bewrayeth thee, Thou hast been with JESUS of Galilee, With JESUS of Galilee." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 13: 01.10. THE POSITION OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_4:7-21 ======================================================================== The Position of The Fellowship -- 1 John 4:7-21 Chapter Ten Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. WHAT a very great influence, both in the formation of our character, and in the experience of life, our dwelling-place has upon us - our neighbourhood, and our own home. There has often been good argument as to which is the stronger - heredity, or environment. I fancy that, nowadays, the pundits are inclined to give it to the latter, so tremendous is the pull and power of the conditions of our habitation. The same rule holds in the spiritual sphere; and this passage deals with the Christian’s position here below. We seek a city yonder (see Hebrews 13:14); but the Epistle is concerned with the earthly dwelling of the soul. Our portion speaks of the member of the Fellowship having three places that he lives "in". One is reminded of the spacious days when the well-to-do had several houses for their enjoyment. In his delightful and revealing essays on "Great Contemporaries", Sir Winston Churchill has a study of the late Earl of Rosebery, in the course of which he says, "I was often his guest in all his houses, at Mentmore, in Berkeley Square, at the Durdans hard by Epsom Downs, on the Firth of Forth at Dalmeny, at his shooting-lodge, Rosebery" - well, well! Still, with all these, his life - if I may be pardoned an impertinent allusion to his family name - was along no Primrose path. So we turn to our consideration of the three dwelling-places of the believers, and mark what are their consequent responsibilities, difficulties, and blessings in such a position as theirs. THEIR SOCIAL POSITION "In this world" (1 John 4:17). The world is an alien country - so that, in the LORD’s Prayer, he says, "They are not of the world", (John 17:16). Yet He has said, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil". In moments of depression, we might wish that immediately upon our New Birth we were granted the administration of our Supernaturalisation Papers and were there and then transported to our now native country up yonder. But what adventure for GOD we should then miss; what possible honours in the fight for Him we should fail to achieve! So we are left here, and may exercise in our residence so great an influence for good, and for GOD. One day, in an electric moment of time, all the believers will be taken out of the world - those who have died, and those who are alive at the moment, all suddenly transformed and transported, to "ever be with the LORD", 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. A queer situation will then arise on the earth the moment after it has happened, that differentiating as between believers and unbelievers, living and working closely together, "one shall be taken, and the other left", Luke 17:34-36. Meanwhile, it is to be remembered that the world is a field of infection - "that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil". For our safeguard we must continually be on guard, for the virulent germs of evil thinking, evil speaking, and evil doing are for ever poisoning the spiritual atmosphere, and we shall succumb, unless we allow ourselves to be "kept" immune by the deodorizing effects of the HOLY SPIRIT, and by the disinfecting power of the Holy Scriptures. We are told that the best defence is attack; and so it is made clear to us that we are to exercise a positive influence wherever we are - even as the Saviour taught, as we have said earlier, that we are to be as "salt" to prevent corruption, as "light" to bring cheer and guidance, and as a hill-top "city" to give clear testimony to Him. Here we are, then, living in this difficult environment - living to serve Him, and to help others. There is still another New Testament figure of the Christian in an alien country which is, again, full of significance - "we are ambassadors for CHRIST", 2 Corinthians 5:20. Earthly monarchs have their ambassadors in other lands, to represent them at the foreign court - standing for the dignities and rights of their Sovereign, keeping their Government in touch with anything affecting the interests of their Country, speaking in the Name of their Ruler, and with all his Power behind them. All that lies within the ambassadorial figure that Paul here employs, to indicate still another aspect of our responsibility as representing our Sovereign LORD to those among whom we live "in this world". That leads on to the further thought that the world is a great audience - before which we are engaged to enact a special performance. In 1 Corinthians 4:9 we read that "we are made a spectacle unto the world", where the original word for "spectacle" is the word from which our "theater "comes. We are as a theater with the world looking on. Our representation of Him is a History, if it is a true likeness; a Comedy, if we burlesque the great part we are meant to play; a Tragedy, if we sadly misrepresent Him to the audience, Turn now to our passage and note its expression of this idea. We read that "as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). Not, you observe, as He was, but is even now in His Divine omnipresence, though to the world-audience unseen - the role is, that they shall see JESUS in us. How searching are the simple words of the chorus, "Can others see JESUS in me?" Well can they? Are we, by His grace, acting the part well. I believe that actors on the ordinary stage are successful in so far as they faithfully study their part. All right then - "consider Him", Hebrews 12:3, and act accordingly. There is another verse in our passage, along the same lines - "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us . . ." (1 John 4:12). The first sentence seems to hang in mid-air, having no connection with what comes before, or after. But upon reflection it seems to me that the argument is after the same pattern as in verse 1 John 4:17 - GOD is not seen in Himself; but, if we display the spirit of love, people can see Him in us. Does not this thought place upon us a tremendous responsibility to see that, as we considered in our sixth study, the portrait is clearly recognized, and, as here, that the performance is true to life. Here, then, we learn something of the calls and claims resting upon the members of the Fellowship, on account of their social position, as residing "in this world." Let us go on to look at their second dwelling - so utterly and beautifully contrasted as it is. THEIR SPIRITUAL POSITION "In love" (1 John 4:16). The whole passage is full of references to, descriptions of, and blessings in, the Love House - an exquisitely delightful residence. - Double-fronted - love to GOD, love to others. - Long lease - even for eternity. - Sunny aspect - constantly lit by the Sun of Righteousness. - Every modern convenience - for "charity never faileth." - Safe from disturbance - for "perfect love casteth out fear." Note that the phrase employed is "dwelleth in love," not "lodgeth," as if for a while - there is all the difference between visiting the seaside for a holiday, and living there permanently. It is this latter condition that is envisaged here. The house itself is a permanency - "now abideth . . . charity," 1 Corinthians 13:13 - and we are never to move elsewhere. We are said to be Born there - "born of God" (1 John 4:7). Not by natural birth, but by new birth. In the beautiful atmosphere where love reigns - that is, in effect, where GOD reigns, for "God is love" - there is no room for a spirit of hate, a spirit of fear, a spirit of greed, a spirit of jealousy, a spirit of self. It is a sign of a newly born body that it breathes life; likewise is it a mark of a new born soul that it breathes love for we cannot really know GOD without catching from Him some of His wonderful spirit of love (1 John 4:8). We are said to Grow there - "herein is our love made perfect" (1 John 4:17). Love is not a merely static thing, but is for ever growing deeper as the days go by - from the cupboard love of the cat, to the childish love of the infant, the callow love of the youth, the awakening love of the sweetheart, the deepening love of a married couple, to the perfect love of a Darby and Joan. So does it come about, in the higher sphere, that the more we know GOD the more we love Him - and, incidentally, the more we love others. As the Christian should be always on the go, so should he also be always on the grow "as newborn babes, desire the sincere [the unadulterated] milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby," (1 Peter 2:2). We are to grow in all kinds of Christian excellencies - for instance, in grace, in knowledge, and in love. This love that the Epistle is so full of is a supernatural quality - "shed abroad in our hearts [not by our effort] by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us," (Romans 5:5). The New Testament word for love is not found in heathen writers; and their word for it is not found in the New Testament - though it is given an exalted place in London’s Piccadilly Circus! Let us see to it that, as members of the Fellowship we are growing in the Divine virtue. We are said to Live there - "dwelleth in love" (1 John 4:16). The Love life follows a pattern, "manifested" in the blessed fact that GOD sent His Son to be incarnate (1 John 4:9) and crucified (1 John 4:10) for us. A strange word is used of the latter fact - "the propitiation"; and we must give careful attention to it, in view of certain strictures that occur in certain quarters. They begin by quoting from this very Epistle, this very chapter, that "God is love". Very well, then, if that be the case, He will surely forgive "our sins", without any need to be propitiated on account of them. Yet the Bible does describe the Cross, not only as an example of love (how true!), but as a propitiation for sins. You see, there are two sides to the nature of GOD, as revealed to us - "God is love", (1 John 4:8); but also, "God is light", (1 John 1:5), and the two must be held in balance. The first word signifies, shall we say, His attitude towards our highest good; the second word embraces His attitude against all evil - in consequence of this latter capacity, innate in a Holy Deity, sin must be adequately dealt with. He cannot, from the very nature of this side of His Being, deal with it as if He were an easy-going, indulgent FATHER. A propitiation there must be - but note carefully the phrase that He "sent . . . the propitiation." The same thought is in Romans 3:25-26, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation... that He might be [at the same time] just, and the justifier." The Cross dealt with the sin, and delivered the sinner who believed. So that we come to this "righteous" conclusion that, seeing there must be a propitiation, His love provided what His holiness demanded! "Herein is love" (1 John 4:10) - indeed. And now we have to remind ourselves that Life in Love lays upon us the obligation to reproduce, in our measure, the pattern of love that is set before us - not to do what He did, which was uniquely His work, but to do as He did. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:11). "We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). It is no use our saying that the copy is too remote, and the task too difficult, for, as we learned in an earlier study, GOD never commands His children to do the impossible, Exodus 18:23, and "this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). This rule of the household is His command; the grace for the doing of it is ours to command! What further residence is there for the members of the Fellowship? THEIR SUPERNATURAL POSITION "In Him" (1 John 4:13) - a privileged position, beyond all human comprehension, but not, thank GOD, beyond our apprehension. You will recall that the phrase is one characteristic of Paul, who constantly uses it - "in the Lord", "in Christ". Led of the SPIRIT, he confidently affirms that all that we Christians have, or hope for, is because of our being "in Him". Such a position brings us such a plethora of graces and blessings. "We dwell in Him", says John, "and He in us", he adds; for there is, as we have seen, a reciprocal aspect about it - if the poker is in the fire, the fire is soon in the poker; if the sponge is in the water, the water is in the sponge; if the body is in the air, the air is in the body - and, to infinitely greater purpose, if we dwell in Him, He dwells in us. It is this second side of the coin that gives the value to the specie; and if only we recognize it, we shall be saved from so much spiritual collapse. Recall the low moral condition into which the Corinthian Christians had fallen, and note Paul’s indication of its root cause - "What? Know ye not that . . . the Holy Ghost... is in you" (1 Corinthians 6:19). With the Holy One there they ought not, and need not, be unholy; nor we! What of the Old Home? Of the unrepentant unbeliever, the threefold record runs: (1) "Born in sins", John 9:34 - not true of our LORD, but true of all else. Do you remember the pathetic lines of poor Tom Hood, in his Past and Present: "I remember, I remember, the house where I was born The little window where the sun came peeping in at morn." Spiritually, this was it: "born in sins". If we are no longer there, let us thank GOD for the grace that moved us; but to continue, (2) "Lived in them", Colossians 3:7 - all we believers lived there once, and what a life of disappointment it was; what an unsafe and unsatisfactory house to be in. (3) "Die in your sins", John 8:24 - there is the poignant Obituary Notice of the impenitent. That, then, is our original dwelling-place - in sin; until we come to be - in Him. What of the New Home? How different from the old place. Here is love, and joy, and peace, and satisfaction, and service, and all blessing. Here we abide all the years of our earthly life - not only with Him, but in Him - until the great Removal Day when, in the mercy of GOD, we move into that other "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens", 2 Corinthians 5:1. Members of the Fellowship: how infinitely privileged we are in our Position, while Here - and when There. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 14: 01.11. THE POWER OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_5:1-5 ======================================================================== The Power of The Fellowship -- 1 John 5:1-5 Chapter Eleven Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? THE true member of the Fellowship is potentially so strong because he possesses a secret whereby he can, if we may put it so, turn on the power as needed. Alas, many of us are so weak, such failures, because we fail to use the switch. This passage introduces to us the whole matter of this power. So, because we all long for power, we give earnest attention to what is said. What a sad difference there is between some Christians and others - the powerful and the powerless. If we belong to the latter class, maybe this study will be the means of transferring us to the former company. To our subject, then. POWER - CRADLED IN LOVE The apostle seems quite unable to get away from the subject of love - he conceives it to be of such vast and vital importance that all other excellencies rest on it, or spring from it, or are irradiated by it. Paul would most heartily approve such sentiments as the study of his unmatched paean of love, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 discloses. John can most appropriately be called the apostle of love. Yet how different a character he had been, even at the beginning of his apostolate. Think of Mark 3:17, James and John "He surnamed... Boanerges, which is The Sons of Thunder", such was their stormy disposition. There’s not much affinity between love and a thunderstorm. Think of Mark 9:38, "John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy Name... and we forbad him, because he followeth not us". A loveless attitude, rebuked by his LORD. Think of Luke 9:54, "James and John... said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?" There’s a deep disparity between lightning and love. If ever there were an instance of the HOLY SPIRIT’S completely transforming a man’s whole nature, we find it in the case of this man John. "The fruit of the Spirit is love . . .," Galatians 5:22. How amazing is the power of this gentle quality of love. You have seen illustrations of it in the field of nature. Yonder garden is wrapt in winter’s grip, the icy cold has persisted long, and hardened all around. Snow now covers the ground. Yet, what is this that pokes up its little, delicate head at the foot of that tree? What power does this tiny snowdrop possess, not only to endure, but even to triumph thus over all that winter can bring? Such is love that can persist amid all the rigours and vigours of this oft-times cruel world. Look at that irregular stone in your pavement. What has lifted it like that? Only a little seed dropped by a bird on to the earth before the stone was hammered into its place. That tiny, wee thing has lifted a weight immeasurably greater than its own. So can love lift the load that bows down many a heart, or raise the stone that hardens many a life. How often has the love of a mother’s broken heart lingered on for her erring son when all other decent people have become ashamed of him and given him up. Love never gives up; but "beareth all things . . . endureth all things," 1 Corinthians 13:7. We are not surprised, then, at the writer’s reiteration. He brings before us again the two aspects of this heavenly characteristic. First, "everyone that loveth him that begat" (1 John 5:1). It begins with love to GOD, all else springs from that. If He had not so loved the world as to send His only begotten Son to save us; if He had not so loved us individually as to beget us in newness of life, and "unto a lively hope,’ 1 Peter 1:3; if He had not "first loved us" (1 John 4:19), we could never have loved in this Divine way. But, first, our love is to be given to "Him that begat," that, in His own Self, started it all. Second, "loveth him also that is begotten of Him." We have heard the old saying, "Love me, love my dog." The idea here is similar: love GOD, love His child. Saint Augustine held that this phrase referred to CHRIST, "the only begotten of the Father," John 1:14. "We know that we love the children of God, when we love God" (1 John 5:2). And this is not so much a matter of choice as a specific "commandment," though this is understood to be, and found to be, not a heavy burden, but a loving rule of the Fellowship. He has said all this before, you say? But can it be said too often? Our memories are so short, and our natures so frail, that it would seem to be salutary to hear it over and over again. Let him that is conscious of fulfilling the twofold commandment complain of the repetition; but let us who are only too well aware of our shortcoming thank GOD for the constant reminder. Our spiritual power, then, is cradled in love. That which emanates from any other source is likely to be hard, remorseless, and self-seeking. POWER - INNATE FROM BIRTH Physically, we watch with wonder the strength resident in the tiny frame of the newly born babe as it battles with the world into which it has come - a struggle which, as infant mortality rates lessen, we know to be mostly successful. Spiritually, how shall it be otherwise with those who are born again - "for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). From the very moment of what we call our conversion - but which, to be exact, we should call our regeneration - the power to be, to speak, to act, to serve, to conquer, is there, if only we will use it. We are "born of the Spirit", John 3:6, Who, from that time, is "in you", 1 Corinthians 6:19 - so that, from our earliest days of Christian life, strength sufficient to "overcome" is daily at our disposal. Turning aside for a moment, look at that distinction between conversion and regeneration. We can be regenerated but once; we can be converted often - and so many, alas, need to be. To convert is to turn back; and a regenerated person may stray from the narrow path. As often as he does so, he will need to return into the strait gate. Some have asked if, though chosen to be an apostle, Peter was not a converted man, and when was he converted, since the MASTER said, "and when thou art converted", Luke 22:32. Oh yes, he was a regenerated man, a real Christian, but he would grievously stray. When he had turned back again, he was to give himself arduously to the strengthening of his fellow believers, lest they also fail and fall. If you are truly a backslider, you do not need to re-enter the Family (you are, once for all, regenerated), but to return to the Fellowship, whose sunlight you have forfeited (you are converted back from your wandering). We need, just now, to convert to our passage on spiritual strength - and to hear again that "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you", (Acts 1:8), which happened to you at the instant of your regeneration. POWER - AVAILABLE TO FAITH "This is the victory that overcometh the world" - even our fighting? No; prepare for a surprise - "even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The interesting discovery, as we carefully study the New Testament, is that, while the beginning of our Christian life, so far as we are concerned, is in faith, the continuing of the same is likewise in faith, from start to finish. The principle of faith runs right through - that is our part in the matter. At the opening of this study, I spoke about a switch, for the utilizing of the power that is there. This is the switch - Faith. I heard of an old lady who was scared of electricity, whom nothing and no one could induce to use a switch and turn on the power. As I have heard of some Christians who, in spite of spiritual failure, have never been persuaded to try the switch of faith - self-effort, at its best and fullest; but never the Bible way "even our faith". Let me try to expound this secret of power, as the Scriptures set it before us. Power of Salvation - "By grace are ye saved through faith", Ephesians 2:8. Every real member of the Fellowship, every true Christian, will subscribe to that. He knows that salvation comes from GOD; that He took the initiative; that, at the tremendous cost of the Saviour’s precious Blood, this mighty Rescue is possible for us; that it is all of His "grace", the wholly undeserved kindness of His loving heart. "By grace", indeed - that, in the blessed entirety of it, is GOD’s part in the great transaction. And our part? Simply "through faith" - we have but to turn the switch; and there is the light, the warmth, the power, that are summed up in the word and fact of salvation. Has my reader switched on? Power to Continue - "we walk by faith, not by sight", 2 Corinthians 5:7. What we call our conversion is not merely a stopping place, but a starting place - "let us go on", says Hebrews 6:1. As we take our journey across the ocean of life there are things like storms, and rocks, and quicksands that would hinder, or even halt, our continuance. There are things that would help and hasten it, as chart, and compass, and helm, answering to the means of grace, such as the Bible, the Prayer, the Communion, the Fellowship, the Service, which explain why the Pentecostal converts "continued stedfastly", Acts 2:42. But, after all, that ship cannot voyage on by what the passenger sees, but only by a force generated deep down, unseen - switched on no less than as is your little table lamp. A skipper, explaining what it was like in a storm, pictured the calm, still waters as the ship nosed her way out into the open sea. Then comes the tempest, he said, and everything seems against us - the now blackened sky, the mountainous waves, the pitiless rain, the howling wind. All speak with one frightening voice: they seem to say to me, and to my ship, "You shan’t come; you shan’t come; you shan’t come". But, he went on, I stand there on the bridge, tightly holding on to the rail, vibrating with the force of the engines down below. Thus while everything else threatens, "You shan’t come", the engines stoutly reply, "Yes, we will; yes, we will; yes, we will". And, added the captain, so we do. Ay, fellow voyager, the secret is down there below in your innermost being - the means of grace may (and will) greatly help you on, but the master power is the HOLY GHOST power within, which you can only harness to your continuance by pressing the switch of faith. Power to Understand - "through faith we understand", Hebrews 11:3. We have a phrase that "seeing is believing"; but in the spiritual realm it is so often the opposite, that "believing is seeing". There are things of the spirit that the worldling will never understand, because he starts by not believing them. This attitude of faith seems very odd to him. Of course it does, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned", 1 Corinthians 2:14. The new man takes the Word of GOD at its face value. He comes upon this thing. He says, I don’t understand it, but GOD says it, and I believe it; and presently he says, I see the switch of faith turns on the light of truth. Power of Sanctification - "them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me", Acts 26:18. The old dictum holds for every Christian, "Be ye holy, for I am holy" - the same in Old Testament requirement, Leviticus 11:44, as in New, 1 Peter 1:16. And the detailed account of it is given as "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness," temperance (self-control): that is real holiness, true sanctification. Mark that all this is obtained, not by our works, "the works of the flesh" are very different, but as "the fruit of the Spirit", Galatians 5:22. He who dwells within every true member of the Fellowship produces, if we get out of His way, and trust Him to do it, these lovely things. The switch of faith turns on the heat that ripens this glorious fruit. This is the kernel of what is known as the Keswick message: sanctification by faith! Power for Victory - "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The LORD had said to our John, and to the rest, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world", John 16:33. Shall we who are His, who indeed are "in Him", fight the battle all over again? Shall we not then rather trust in what He has accomplished by His death and rising again, and take from Him the conquest? In the moment of our temptation, let us have done with struggling, and instantly, by a deliberate act of faith, take the victory already won, and in that moment made available to us. Says Bishop Gore, "It is His victory appropriated by us". Victory by faith: yes, that’s it. The switch of faith turns on the power to overcome. Power for Daily Life - "the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God", Galatians 2:20 : faith on the Son of GOD is the meaning. The life that some Christians now live is a life according to the flesh - the lower nature; or, according to the fashion - like a spiritual chameleon; or, according to the feelings - now up, now down ; but Paul lives according to faith on the Son of GOD. He has found that carried him through the big occasions, and the sudden emergencies. He would have us know that it is the power sufficient to meet the calls of the ordinary, unexciting, humdrum affairs of the day-to-day routine. I say! What an electric switch is this faith. Have you learnt to use it? So- POWER - ISSUING IN VICTORY This is the prospect held out to all Fellowship members "who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5). That is, that trusts in faith to Him, Whom he knows to possess all the experience of perfect humanity, and all the unconquerable power of transcendent Deity. Such unfaltering reliance on Him will have a wonderful issue in the Christian’s life - victory over sinful habits, victory over all temptations, victory over trying circumstances, victory over depressing feelings, victory over personal insufficiencies, victory over dominant self. Victory all along the line - by fighting for it? No, no - "even our faith". Verily, "if ye have faith . . . nothing shall be impossible unto you", Matthew 17:20. Then, where do I come in? If you’re wise, you don’t! The life of a small boy at school was made a misery by the bully. His elder brother was a senior prefect; but, of course, the youngster couldn’t sneak. One day the brother saw what was going on. The bully had his back to him, and didn’t observe him advancing, but the victim did. So, dodging away, he ran behind his big brother, and looking through his arms akimbo, he said to his tormentor, "Now come on!" The Boy, the Bully, and the Big Brother - there’s the secret of victory there. Never was such a bully as Satan; never such a Strong One as He who "is not ashamed to call them brethren", Hebrews 2:11. Get behind Him, leave the antagonist to Him. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 15: 01.12. THE POSSESSION OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_5:6-13 ======================================================================== The Possession of The Fellowship -- 1 John 5:6-13 Chapter Twelve This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. REMEMBER that rich young ruler, who, though ardently desiring to possess himself of "eternal life", yet, because he could not face the condition imposed, forfeited his chance of the gift, and "went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions", Matthew 19:22. His earthly possessions, with all their present comfort and prestige, kept him from the eternal possession, which outlives all others, and which outshines them, even here and now. Let it be noted that members of the Fellowship have "great possessions", of a spiritual sort; but the first, and last, of them is this greatest of them "eternal life", which is the gift that this passage deals with. Which would you rather be, physically - a person with great possessions but no life; or one with, perhaps, no possessions but life? Spiritually - we have the greatest of all possessions, which is life itself. You will see that our verses discuss the subject from the point of view, not just of the Gift, but the Giver. THE WITNESS TO THE REALITY OF THE LIFE-GIVER John had been one of that devoted company that believed on the Son of GOD. He had gathered with the others for the Master’s farewell meeting on Olivet’s Mount. He had heard his once crucified, but now living, LORD say, ere the final good-bye - "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me", (Acts 1:8). All his subsequent life he had striven to carry out the Saviour’s wish and command. To that end, he had yielded his personality to the HOLY SPIRIT’S inspiration for the writing of a Gospel, and a Revelation, and an Epistle. The witness had cost him much, for he had been deported to the rigours of Patmos for the faith, and, if tradition be true, was martyred at the end - thus, like his brother James, years before him, he did "drink indeed of My cup", (Matthew 20:23), as the MASTER foretold. At the opening of this Letter he says, concerning the Word of Life, the LORD JESUS, John 1:1, that "the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life" (1 John 1:2). That has been the main burden of the whole Epistle - which is why the late Mr. George Goodman called his brief study of it The Epistle of Eternal Life. And now, as it draws towards its close, the apostle is back again at the theme of the witness. The Historical Witness - "the witness of men" (1 John 5:9), to JESUS CHRIST. "This is He that came by water and Blood" (1 John 5:6). Says Dr. Vincent, "these words are evidently chosen to describe something characteristic of CHRIST’S Messianic office." Various interpretations of the phrase have been suggested; but we cannot, for ourselves, avoid coming back to the view that "water and blood" must point to some purely historical facts in the life of our LORD on earth. We recall, then, those three years of His Messianic ministry - at its opening, the Baptism ("by water"); at its close, the Crucifixion ("by Blood"). "Not by water only, but by water and Blood." Not by water only, as if you could dispense with the Blood of His Cross. There are some who preach" a bloodless Gospel." That omission was the reason why Cain’s offering was not acceptable to GOD - there was no blood in it: all which was a figure of things that were to come. Like Cain, some of the extreme modernists imagine that they know better than GOD, and think that salvation can be obtained without the atoning sacrifice. They forget, if they do not despise, the Divine declaration that "without shedding of blood is no remission", (Hebrews 9:22) - either symbolically, as under the Old Dispensation, or actually, as unfolded in the New. How interesting it is that at the completion of the Messianic ministry we are, in symbol, reminded of its opening and finish - "one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water", (John 19:34). "Water" - the sign of the attestation of the well-pleasing Son, Matthew 3:17, commissioned for His task. "Blood" - the sign of the "finished" accomplishment of the crucified Saviour, John 19:30, afterwards to be sealed in His resurrection. By the way, have you noticed that in His risen body there is no blood - "a spirit hath not flesh and bones [the usual phrase would be "flesh and blood"], as ye see Me have", Luke 24:39. His precious Blood had been fully shed for us. There, then, is the historical witness. The Spiritual Witness - "the witness of God is greater" (1 John 5:9). I think it is true to say that the HOLY SPIRIT has a great passion, which is implied in those words about Him of the LORD JESUS, in John 16:14, "He shall glorify Me". He has done that: (a) By writing a Book about Him; (b) By getting a soul to trust in Him; (c) By making a Christian to become like to Him; and adding to this extensive ministry; (d) By exercising His testimony concerning Him, deigning to confirm "the witness of men" - and whatever may be said of the human frailty of man, this at least will be admitted on all hands that, anyhow, "the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6). It is the fact, isn’t it, that the believer’s assurance of salvation is based upon three things: - The Work of CHRIST; - The Word of GOD; - The Witness of the SPIRIT. When anyone rests upon that finished Work, and believes what GOD says about it, then the HOLY SPIRIT brings a conviction to the heart; so that "he that believeth on the Son of God - and the record that GOD gave of His Son - hath the witness in himself" (1 John 5:10). Or, as Paul is led to put it, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God", (Romans 8:16). In passing, don’t be confused by that use of the word "Itself" in our Bible into imagining that it lends any support to the idea that the SPIRIT is not a personality. It is only that the grammatical accuracy of the Greek calls for it - the word for "Himself" would, of course, be masculine; but the word for "Spirit" is neuter, therefore strictly "Itself". There is, however, on the spiritual accuracy of "Himself", an abundance of occasions on which that personal pronoun is used: for instance, no less than seven times by our LORD in one verse, John 16:13. So, when we bear witness to our Saviour, either in preaching, or in personal testimony, it is so encouraging to realize that we are doing a work that is of particular interest to the HOLY SPIRIT, and a work to which - either in this case, or in that - He will add His own convincing witness. This is the beginning of, the explanation of, every conversion, or regeneration. The initiative is always with Him. And now mark THE WORD ABOUT THE RECEPTION OF THE LIFE-GIVER Here is a Divine Gift - "God hath given" (1 John 5:11). Therefore it will have about it all the perfections and excellencies that are associated with the Divine offers to men. And to think that, such is the perversity of the human mind and will, that men and women can be found to refuse the gift. Like the man with the muck-rake, in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, who was so completely concerned with his humble occupation that he had no eyes for the golden crown poised over his head for the taking - that’s it with some people, pre-occupation with other, and lesser, things. There are some who fear that to accept the gift would involve them in responsibilities that they cannot face - what others will think, or will say, or will do. Two soldiers - one trying to win his comrade to CHRIST were talking, when a Christian officer happened to pass, and overheard the unbeliever say, "Well, I just can’t face the cost of becoming a Christian." That fear prevents many from accepting the gift. The officer’s retort was noteworthy, "Have you ever faced the cost of not becoming a Christian?" Ah yes, there are many causes (I nearly wrote, reasons!), many excuses, for the strange neglect of GOD’s gift. Here is a Lasting Gift - "eternal life" (1 John 5:11). So many of our gifts to one another so quickly wear out, or become out-of-fashion; but here is one that suffers no disability. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should . . . have everlasting life", (John 3:16): the gift of His life never wears out and is never out-of-fashion. It stands up to all the chances and changes of this mortal realm and is discovered to be all the fashion in the realm above. What a pity - indeed, what a tragedy - that, for the sake of the flimsy and fleeting things of this world, men and women lose this magnificent chance. Says the wise Paul, "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal", 2 Corinthians 4:18. Here is a Personal Gift - (a) "to us"(1 John 5:11). Not just to the mass and multitude of men, but to me personally, and to you: to all of us, but to each of us. Listen to Paul again, who, as we should expect, so often corroborates the teaching of the beloved John, for it is the same SPIRIT Who inspires them both - "the life which I now live... I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me", (Galatians 2:20). There is not a soul, not even the worst and wickedest, that He doesn’t love, and that cannot have the gift, on the twin conditions of repentance and faith - so personal is the gift. But it is that also in another sense. (b) "This life is in His Son" (1 John 5:11). It is not so much it, as He. How often have we blessed GOD that the MASTER is what He gives. - "I am the Door" - not merely opens it, but is it. The Entrance "in" to salvation, and "out" for service, (John 10:9). - "I am the Way" - not just shows it, but is it. The true and the living Way, John 14:6. - "I am that Bread" - not simply gives it, but is it. The sustaining, satisfying Bread that is ever new, John 6:48. - "I am the Resurrection and the Life" - not only has it, but is it. The life that is life indeed, John 11:25. Thus our passage presses home to our hearts the vital truth, "He that hath the Son hath [the] life" (1 John 5:12) - not just life in the ordinary, physical sense, but "the life", and the definite article is in the Greek, the life that he has all along been talking about, the life that is of that eternally enduring quality, that life which becomes ours as soon as He becomes ours - gift to a person, of a Person, by a Person. Here is a Certain Gift - "ye may know that ye have" (1 John 5:13). That, says this author, is the reason why he has written as he has - in order that the believers he writes to may be quite sure that they have this priceless possession of eternal life, because they have the Life-giver. - There are those who say that you can’t know until you get there; but this Scripture says, "ye may know". - There are others who say that it is presumption to talk like this; but our verse says, "that ye have". We ask which is the more presumptuous - to believe GOD’s word, or to doubt it? John and Paul are full of sublime certitudes, because they base their certainty, not on their own merit, or power, but only on the wondrous mercy and grace of the Almighty GOD. C. H. Spurgeon, when preaching on John 5:24, "hath everlasting life", exclaimed, shutting his fist up tight as he pronounced the word - "H-A-T-H spells GOT IT". Peculiar spelling, but glorious truth. Don’t pass by the thought in our verse that the assurance is given to "you that believe on the Name of the Son of GOD" - the title is the pledge of the confidence; the Name is the surety for our sureness. Do you notice the strange repetition of words in that 13th verse 1 John 5:13 - "These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God . . . that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God". Do they not lend support to the thesis that we propounded in our last study, that faith is the principle of the Christian life - not only in its beginning, but in its continuing all through. You do believe: very well, then you are to go on believing - and you have a sure foundation to begin with, that your receiving hand of faith has gotten the Gift. Not that you think you have, nor hope you have, nor feel you have, but that you know you have. GOD says it, and I believe it. Here is an Omnibus Gift - I am reminded that, at one Christmas, I was given a present of a compactum. It was a delightful box, well made, and nice to look at. Yes; but inside were many little compartments, stocked with all sorts of useful things- pins, paper-fasteners, india-rubber, luggage labels, sticking-paper, and so on. Well now, in GOD’s preeminent gift of Eternal Life, there are contained so many blessings, for the meeting of so many needs - they are all there "in Christ", Who is Himself the Life. Our grateful thoughts go back to the wondrous words of Romans 8:32, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" All the gifts are in the Gift of the Life-giver. THE WARNING CONCERNING THE REJECTION OF THE LIFE GIVER "He that hath not the Son of GOD hath not life" (1 John 5:12). That solemn statement embraces two consequential issues - a positive and a negative, each of which is charged, for this unbeliever, with enormous significance. And we recall that to neglect is the equivalent of to reject - "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?", (Hebrews 2:3). In this eternally decisive matter, to say nothing is to say "No". The Positive Consequence - of such an attitude is the dread sentence of the "second death", Revelation 20:14. We shall say nothing here in explanation of it. Far better to leave the matter to the actual words of Holy Scripture. Whatever our opinion may be, there it is: the alternative to such a Life is such a Death. Let us stay only to remark that we may rest assured that no one will suffer that penalty without every chance to "escape" - for GOD, in His love and mercy, has made "a way to escape", 1 Corinthians 10:13, by the way of the Cross. We may be sure, further, that nothing in this will impugn, or controvert, GOD’s impeccable justice. The Negative Consequence - of this negative response is the loss of all the delights, the blessings, the powers, the service, wrapped up in this omnibus gift. - Pardon of sins, - peace of mind, - prosperity of spirit, - pleasure of heart, - power for service, - prayer for others, - possibility of His likeness, - prospect of glory "In Christ", all are ours; apart from Him, nothing is ours. What a possession, then, is this Life in the Life-giver - a life that Grows, 2 Peter 3:18; that Knows, 1 John 2:20; that Shows, Luke 8:39; that Flows, John 7:38; that Glows, Psalms 34:5, "radiant." May all Fellowship members "possess their possessions", Obadiah 1:17. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 16: 01.13. THE PRAYER OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_5:14-17 ======================================================================== The Prayer of The Fellowship -- 1 John 5:14-17 Chapter Thirteen And this is the confidence that we have in him; that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. THE Epistle is hurrying to its close. There have been occasions while he has been writing when, looking back upon what has already been said, John tackles again subjects already dealt with, enlarging the treatment of the matter or underlining it for the sake of stressing its importance. That is what happens in these verses. He has already spoken of the supreme ministry of prayer; and now, that the members of the Fellowship shall realize to the full the power and the privilege of it, he takes it in hand once more. ITS TWOFOLD EFFECT There are those who would say that it has no effect at all. Yet that was not what Moses found, nor David found, nor Elijah found, nor Daniel found, nor Nehemiah found, nor Paul found, nor Epaphras found, nor the church found, nor - may I add - what CHRIST found. All these, and many others then and since, down through the years testify to the intrinsic worth, and immense work, of prayer. "This is the confidence that we have in Him" (1 John 5:14), would be the common testimony of a myriad saints. What, then, does prayer do? Its subjective effect - in our own heart and being, keeping us fresh, according to Isaiah 40:31, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". The mountain-top breezes of prayer, so dear to the heart of our LORD, Who so often "went up into a mountain apart to pray", Matthew 14:23 - how invigorating they are. The open windows of prayer, as practiced by the intrepid warrior, who "his windows being open . . . he kneeled upon his knees . . . and prayed", (Daniel 6:10) - how symbolic of the freshening of spirit brought by this exercise of the soul. Freshness, yes; and strength, too, does prayer bring to our hearts. Archbishop Trench’s words are still so true: "We kneel, how weak; we rise, how full of strength, Why, therefore, do we do ourselves this wrong, And others - that we are not always strong?" If this were all that prayer does, how well worthwhile it would be; but it is not all. Its objective effect - it obtains things from GOD; it gets things done. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that it is the chief instrument for getting GOD’s will done on earth. Oh, says some unbeliever - who, incidentally, has never prayed properly, and so knows nothing about the matter - this universe has been so constituted by Nature (as he puts it) as to be governed by Law, and your prayer cannot alter that. Laws: how true - and all the various laws subserve each other, work in with each other: the law of magnetism counteracting the law of gravity, for instance. Laws: how true and the law of prayer is one of them. The incontrovertible experience of the saints is, that GOD does things because of prayer that He does not do without it. What is the use of the objector saying that prayer accomplishes nothing, in the face of the work of George Mueller and his great Orphanage. Beginning in a small way, it grew to great proportions - so that during the space of something like sixty years, he clothed, fed, educated, and cared for some thousands of children, and gathered in nearly two million pounds for the doing of it. He made it his rule never to advertise, nor to ask anyone for a penny; but simply to tell GOD, and ask Him for all supplies. He and his workers adhered to that rule through all that long period - and all their needs were supplied, whether in the day-by-day necessities, or in the matter of bigger demands. Simply and solely by prayer. Talk about "pennies from heaven" - pounds, too! Now that is a dramatic example of the workings of the Law of Prayer. How many stories could be told of GOD’s answers to prayer - for Provision, for Guidance, for Strength, for Protection, oh, and what not. Even, at times, about the weather, James 5:17-18. It is this objective side of the matter that is the theme of this passage - as is evidenced by the word employed, "we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (1 John 5:15). And here again, as he deals with the subject, John does not fail to indicate that the "any thing" of our verse 1 John 5:14, like the "whatsoever" of 1 John 3:22, is dependent upon conditions. Putting the two passages, indeed the whole Epistle, together, we may say that the governing factors of successful prayer are - Being: that is, "born of God". Obeying: "because we keep His commandments". Dwelling: "we dwell in Him, and He in us". Knowing: "according to His will". Then, simply, Asking: for the definite thing. So comes the Receiving: "we have the petitions". One author says that "the believer would not make his own any prayer which is not according to GOD’s will. And since he has made GOD’s will his own will, he has all he truly seeks in immediate and present possession. [Note Mark 11:24, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them", though the visible fulfillment may be delayed.] That is, as it seems to me, a very profound statement. Yes, if we ask, He will do. Here is another amazing potentiality belonging to the members of the Fellowship. Now look at something else. ITS TWOFOLD ASPECT Two different words are used here, to describe different kinds of prayer. The distinction is not unimportant; and any point that leads us to a wider and deeper understanding of this mighty ministry is infinitely worth-while, isn’t it? Some of us Christians are content with just "saying our prayers" every morning and night, a habit which can be full of earnest reality, but which also can degenerate into a mere formality. How marked an influence we could exert upon our friends and neighbours, and right across the world in distant lands, if we were to engage in a ministry of unhurried intercession, at some regularly adopted period of the day or week - getting alone with GOD in the quiet, perhaps with a map of the world before you, perhaps with a street directory of your own district; and thus go from place to place, and pray. Who can measure what might be accomplished in this way. It was thus that an invalid lady brought D. L. Moody to Great Britain. Listen afresh to your MASTER, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father . . . shall reward thee openly", (Matthew 6:6). We spoke just now of the Open Window of prayer; here it is the Shut Door! Well, what about those two words we mentioned? They are both here in the passage before us. The Ordinary Word - is the one that is most often used for prayer. It is the one that is, in this passage, translated "ask". It is used in the familiar passage of Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you", and in many other places. One might almost call it the subordinate’s word. It represents the plea of an inferior to a superior, a pupil to a master, a servant to an employer, a subject to a king, and so of a man to GOD. When we come to GOD in prayer, we must always remember that we are speaking to the All-mighty, the All-holy, the All-highest - anything other than uttermost reverence is altogether unbecoming in the suppliants at the Divine throne. Except for one thing, it would be impossible for man to approach GOD at all. That one thing is, that GOD Himself has taken the initiative - He has opened the way, He has granted the audience. And so, for our encouragement, we read, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus", (Hebrews 10:19), the ground of access. And, "Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need", (Hebrews 4:16), the use of access. Thus, in all humble dependence, yet in bright hope, because He has bidden us come, and "ask", we members of the Fellowship can gladly exercise our privilege, and intercede. The Out-of-the-Ordinary Word - now calls for our attention, It is used in our passage but once, and is there translated, "pray" (1 John 5:16). This word is used of the requests of an equal to an equal; and is the one employed when speaking of the LORD’s praying to His FATHER. That first word, of the inferior, is never adopted concerning His approach to GOD. The study of the use of words in Scripture is most fascinating; and it confirms one in the old belief in the Divine verbal inspiration of the Bible. Now, the amazing thing is that GOD allows some people, sometimes, to speak to Him in this more intimate way almost on an equal footing. He has no favourites, but He has intimates - shall we put it, those who have an absorbing love for Him, for any other condition is wrapped up in that. Such people have an entree to the presence and ear of GOD that is peculiarly near; and while normally, like the rest of us, they "ask" in the ordinary way, there are occasions, times, subjects, in which they may "pray" in the closer fashion, as friend with Friend, John 15:14, as beloved son with FATHER. Take a prince of the Royal House - he will make his requests to his father in a twofold manner. Sometimes as to the King, when he will "ask", as the inferior subject of his Sovereign; but sometimes, in the privacy of the family, he will "pray" him, on equal terms, as the son of his Sire - but always with the respect due to the exalted station of the monarch. It is a faint picture of the dual prayer relationship that our GOD has graciously allowed His intimates. It naturally follows that the inner prayer can seek for further things, deeper things, greater things, than the ordinary prayer - Do you not think that George Muller’s intercession was in this holy category? But - there is sometimes a limit even to this kind. Why did Abraham cease in his intercession as he did? Because he had reached the limit - GOD terminated the interview, "the Lord went His way", Genesis 18:33. No, Abraham, you must not pray for Sodom to be spared. Here is the same principle in our passage. Whatever be the nature of this sin, GOD declares through John, "I do not say that he shall pray for it" (1 John 5:16). No, not even that special, intimate prayer shall seek for that. One is reminded of that sore judgment, "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone" (Hosea 4:17). Let him alone! "I do not say that he shall pray for it." Thank GOD, Ephraim’s backsliding was eventually "healed" (Hosea 14:4), because" Ephraim shall say, "What have I to do any more with idols" (Hosea 14:8). The sin must take its course, "let him alone" - until his repentance and GOD’s mercy, shall coincide for eventual blessing. Oh, how GOD hates the sin, oh, how GOD loves the sinner! And now note concerning prayer. ITS TWOFOLD OBJECT For Ourselves. It is reassuring to know that we may "ask anything" (1 John 5:14). It may be a very foolish thing; but GOD is able to sort things out, and if that request be not good, He will, in His answer, give something ministering to our well-being. He saw it was foolish of Paul to seek riddance of his "thorn in the flesh", so He gave him instead grace to bear it, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. It may be a very material thing; but GOD is interested in our material welfare. Yes, "anything". He will not chide us for our wrongful asking, but, moulding His provision to the shape of our request, will grant us as is "according to His will". So may we "ask" in "confidence" - not in our eloquence, not in our fervency, not in our merit, or desert; but "that we have in Him". He has undertaken to listen, He has promised to answer; and we confidently rely on His word. "We know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (1 John 5:15) - provided they were His will for us. We turn to consider the other object of our prayers: For Others. The proper description of the previous kind of prayer is Petition, while this is Intercession. The passage does not roam at large, but deals with a specific matter concerning the spiritual life of others. Note, further, that the verses do not deal with prayer for the unconverted just now, though they are not to be excluded from the influence of this ministry. You will remember that in the LORD’s Prayer we have the same momentary omission, "I pray not for the world", John 17:9 - He means, not just at the moment. For those outside the Kingdom, we are entitled, encouraged, and enabled to pray. Some of them will not let you talk to them about GOD; but they cannot prevent you talking to GOD about them. One day He may rejoice your heart by giving you the chance to answer your own prayer, and present you with the God-made opportunity to lead them to Himself. But it is the "brother" that is here in mind - which means that he is a member of the same Family, a child of the same FATHER, as yourself, a fellow member of the Fellowship. What, then, is this "sin unto death"? A number of suggestions have been advanced; and I should think it is well not to be too dogmatic; but what I have said under the "Out-of-the-ordinary word" will indicate what is my own view of the matter. Only I would stress that it is my opinion only, for anything that it may be worth. I think, then, that the "death" is physical death. What is known as the Unpardonable Sin is a specific transgression, which, as Matthew 12:31-32 makes clear, is the persistent rejection of the testimony of the HOLY SPIRIT concerning the LORD JESUS; but I take it that this Sin unto Death is not anyone particular wrong, there is such a thing as sin that might lead to death. We know that it has led to spiritual death - "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die", (Genesis 2:17) and he did die, spiritually, that moment, and all his entail following. "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned", (Romans 5:12). If, when John said, "there is a sin not unto death" (1 John 5:17), it would be a complete contradiction of this fundamental passage, if he had meant spiritual death. But, as it appears to me, physical death puts the matter straight, and there is no contradiction. When a Christian falls to sinning, his salvation is not jeopardized, he does not revert to his unregenerate state of spiritual death; but, in certain cases, he may incur the penalty of physical death. The Christians at Corinth were the victims of this sore displeasure of the LORD, because in some flagrant way they had abused the LORD’s Supper - "for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep", (1 Corinthians 11:30). The physical death of the believer is described by our LORD as "sleep", Mark 5:39; John 11:11-13. Spiritual death is never associated with a believer, because, says the LORD, with all the added weight of His doubly emphatic, "Verily, verily", he "is passed from death unto life", (John 5:24). It is, then, a physical chastening of the LORD that is, in our belief, spoken of here, whether of sickness, or in extreme cases, of death; and, as the Corinthian passage continues, in verse 1 Corinthians 11:32, "we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." "Somewhat in this sense," says Dr. Pettingill, of America, "Moses sinned unto death, Deuteronomy 32:48-52; Achan sinned unto death, Joshua 7:25; Ananias sinned unto death, Acts 5:1-11." This, then, whatever be its true meaning, is the one forbidden ground. How vast, however, is the area of permissive prayer, wherein the Fellowship can exercise this ministry for the "brother", or for the other. To return to our previous image let us to such purpose open our windows of prayer that GOD will "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it", Malachi 3:10 - all you can do with such abundance is to overflow it to others; even "rivers of living water", John 7:38. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 17: 01.14. THE PERSUASIONS OF THE FELLOWSHIP -- 1JN_5:18-21 ======================================================================== The Persuasions of The Fellowship -- 1 John 5:18-21 Chapter Fourteen We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. "WE know . . ." "(1 John 5:18); "And we know . . ." (1 John 5:19); "And we know . . ." (1 John 5:20). This is a characteristic word of the apostle’s - seven times over - it comes within the brief space of verses 1 John 5:13-20 of this chapter. Indeed, he states that, as we have already remarked, while he wrote the Gospel that "ye might have life", John 20:31, he penned the Epistle "that ye may know that ye have eternal life", 1 John 5:13. You see, there are certain fundamental things about which, like Paul, we may say, "I am persuaded . . .", Romans 8:38. We need not be afraid, nor ashamed, of such blessed dogmatism, when it is based, not on our opinion, but on the specific Word of GOD. Let the believer, then, test his case, take his stand, upon such rock-like foundations, amid all the winds that blow, and the waves that threaten. In the world in which he is situated, he will experience much opposition, and many perplexities; theories and problems will engage his attention, and sometimes even question his Christian belief. There is a fundamental principle which should always keep him steady: Don’t let what you know be upset by what you don’t know. Resting upon "Thus saith the Lord", he need not quail before what saith the world. Take as example the testimony of an erstwhile blind man, in answer to the quibbling assertions of unbelievers - "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see", (John 9:25). Come with me, then, as we close our meditations on this wonderful Epistle, and let us study together these three great certitudes, with which our inspired author concludes - three that he is led to select here out of many; three that should make for the establishment in faith and life of every true member of the Fellowship. CONCERNING CHRISTIAN PURITY "We know . . ." (1 John 5:18). How careful the Epistle has been all through to insist that the Christian life is a holy life, thus marking out the teaching of Christianity as something wholly different from that of other religions. In the eyes of the New Testament, an unholy Christian is an anomaly, a contradiction in terms - an unsaintly saint: no, no! Yet, alas, such a monstrosity is not uncommon. Had we better look into our own hearts, do you think? The Fact Stated. (a) "Whosoever is born of God", not the well-meaning, not the hard-trier, not the new-leafer, but the really regenerate, the new "I" of Galatians 2:20. Of such an one, here is a remarkable statement. (b) "Sinneth not" - a present tense, denoting not an isolated, or occasional wrongdoing, but a continual course of sin. Alas, we Christians do sometimes fall, though we need not; but this is a very different thing. In the old days, he travelled through life "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). But, by the grace of GOD, and by the new birth of the SPIRIT, the believer has now changed his course. He may sometimes go wrong; but he won’t go on in it. The Fact Emphasized - "that wicked one toucheth him not". The word is very strong - suggesting the idea of, "lays no hold on him". You have the same word in the LORD’s "Touch Me not", in John 20:17, where it is again the laying hold that He forbids, as if Mary, in symbol, would seek to detain Him here, and deter His departure back to Heaven. When He has "ascended", she may lay hold of Him in spirit; but meanwhile she must not clasp Him in body - the old physical relationship no longer obtains. So, then, let the believer rejoice that, though the wicked one may lay a hand on him, to try to turn him aside, yet he can never lay hold on him, to compel him thither. Let it not be forgotten that the devil cannot make us sin. The Fact Explained - "he that is begotten of God keepeth himself" . When we were considering the phrase "him... that is begotten of Him" we saw that the whole context indicated that the begotten one was the believer, the son of GOD - "the child who draws from Him the abiding principle of his life". Now, in our present verse, we have the great weight holding that the context in this case demands that "He that is begotten of God" refers, not to the son of GOD, but to the Son of GOD. There follows from that a great change in the verse. He does not depend on his own strength or vigilance. He has an active Enemy, but he has also a watchful Guardian. The glorious certainty of the Christian’s daily victory and purity rests on the sublime fact that the "only begotten Son", Whom GOD "gave", John 3:16, and "sent", 1 John 4:10, keeps him safe. The One Who is "able... to save to the uttermost", Hebrews 7:25, is also "able to keep you from falling", Jude 1:24. When the little child takes hold of the policeman’s hand, he takes hold of hers; and her safety in crossing that busy street lies, not in her hold, though that had to be there, but in his. Thus it is that the Psalmist is able confidently to say, "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe", Psalms 119:117. And that is why it is no presumption to say about the glorious possibility of purity, "We know . . ." CONCERNING CHRISTIAN POSITION "We know . . ." (1 John 5:19). We have, under the guidance of our writer, devoted a whole study to the consideration of this theme, and now, because of its importance for all Christian health and happiness, the apostle calls us back again to it, that we may be perfectly sure where we live - the soul’s house into which we enter, for all that salvation stands for; from which we emerge, for all the service that salvation leads to. John underlines then The Certainty of the Believer’s Situation. We are "of God". We are in the Family, in the Fellowship with all that that means, as revealed in the Epistle - with a Forgiven Past, and a Fearless Present, and a Fine Prospect. We "know" this: whatever other people may say, whatever we may sometimes feel, whatever opposition we may encounter. Again we say that it is no presumption to avow this in such certain tones, for it is founded, not on our being better than others, but on our believing GOD - the "better" should come afterwards. I say "should", because, alas, it does not always do so. It is the sad fact that, in not a few instances, men and women of the world often put us Christians to shame, in the uprightness of their character, in the kindliness of their disposition, and in the helpfulness of their behaviour - not always, by any means, but sometimes. The Christian should always be a better man than the worldling; but, better or not, he is different. His situation is different, as John here sums it up, in recalling the phrase, "we are in Him" (1 John 5:20) - oh, blessed privilege, protection, potentiality, purpose, and provision. "In Him"! Look at the situation as it is typified in the experience of Moses, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock, and... I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand", (Exodus 33:21-22). On the rock, in the rock - even the Rock of Ages cleft for me! All that, and much more that only glory will reveal, because of our situation, "of God." We know that! The Contrast of the Unbeliever’s Situation. "The whole world lieth in wickedness". Or, rather, in the Wicked One. In 1 John 2:20, we have a comparable phrase, "the Holy One"; and it would appear that, as in physical geography, so in the geography of the spirit, there are two hemispheres - and, according to his relationship to CHRIST, every person has his situation clearly defined: he dwells either in the Holy One, or in the Wicked One. All the worldlings are positioned in the latter. The devil, says our LORD, is "the prince of this world", who has usurped the Saviour’s lawful throne, who is already "judged", John 16:11, who shall be "cast out", John 12:31, and who hath "nothing in Me", John 14:30. He is, says Paul, "the god of this world", 2 Corinthians 4:4, who has blinded the eyes of the unbeliever - so that, on the one hand, he cannot see the beauties and glories of CHRIST, and, on the other hand, cannot see the losses and perils of his situation. Thank GOD, it is possible to emigrate from this barren hemisphere of darkness to the joyous region of light. He, Whom this very writer has recorded as saying "I am the Way", John 14:6, invites us to put our hand of faith in His, and He will tightly grasp, and firmly hold, and safely land us in the glad hemisphere, where reign eternal life, and light, and love. Members of the Fellowship "know" that, by the grace and mercy of GOD, they dwell there; and if their membership is the virile reality that it is expected to be, they will be eager to stretch out the hands of their loving service, to fetch others in. "O strengthen me, that while I stand Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee, I may stretch out a loving hand To wrestlers in life’s troubled sea." CONCERNING CHRISTIAN PERCEPTION "We know . . ." (1 John 5:20). Members of the Fellowship, by reason of their new birth, have come to a new understanding of things. Take the story of Naaman’s cleansing a-typical of our cleansing from the leprosy of sin, and mark how the miracle of mercy brings him into a different view of things. "Behold, I thought...", (2 Kings 5:11). - Wrong plan - as if his cleansing (or ours) could be bought. - Wrong person - as if the king (or, with us, anyone but JESUS) could do it. - Wrong place - as if other rivers than Jordan (picture, for us, of the stream that flows from Calvary’s mountain) could effect it. - Wrong power - as if some energy of the flesh (instead of, in our case, trust in the Divine energy) were required. He was all wrong, as so many unregenerate people are. "Behold, now I know..." (2 Kings 5:15) - that there is but one GOD Who can cleanse and save. After his new birth, if you like - for "his flesh came again, like unto the flesh of a little child" (1 John 5:14) he knew so differently. It is a vivid picture of the new understanding that comes to the one who has become a member of the Family, the Fellowship. "The natural man", the unregenerate man, just can’t see, and will not accept it, 1 Corinthians 2:14. But thank GOD for "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened", Ephesians 1:18. The Source of it - (a) "the Son of God is come" - not only into the world, but into our hearts. If He had not, we had nothing. (b) "and hath given us an understanding" - a grasp of holy things that will never accrue to us by any human reasoning. But "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit", 1 Corinthians 2:10. As we saw in 1 John 2:20, "ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things" - that is, are in a position to get to know all things that are needful for your spiritual growth and well-being. The Object of it - "that we may know Him that is true." As we come to know more and more of His ways among men, and of His will for men, so we shall see more and more of His Divine nature, and so we shall come to love Him more and more deeply, as the days go by. There is an ever deepening knowledge of Him, that every earnest member of the Fellowship will assuredly covet. Paul came first to know Him on the Damascus road, when, in response to his mystified "Who art Thou...?", came the revelation that He was the Living LORD JESUS. From that moment of destiny he knew Him; but listen to him, as he writes years afterwards, "That I may know Him", Php 3:10. The Secret of it - "we are in Him that is true." As we said earlier, you never really know a person until you live with him. And here it is again, that because we are "in Him", we can increasingly know Him and understand His mind and will. By the way, you will have observed how often in our study I have repeated myself - that is only because the Epistle itself does the same. John desires, by this method of the true teacher, to instruct by repetition - to say it again, to stress the importance of the matter, and to impress the mind and memory of his readers with the truth concerned. So he has laid lasting emphasis upon the full Deity of JESUS CHRIST "true God"; and upon the all-embracing boon that He is to us - "eternal life." The Responsibility of it - "little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21). We have just learned that we cannot keep ourselves; but the word for "keep" here is a different one. In the present sense, we are enjoined to do it. An idol is, of course, anyone, or anything, that takes the place that GOD should have in our lives. Mr. R. M. L. Waugh, in his recently published book, The Preacher and His Greek Testament, reminds us that "We live in an age of god-makers. Narcissus, god of Self [fell in love with his own reflection in a pool]. Mars, god of War. Bacchus, god of Wine. Venus, goddess of Love, Apollo, god of physical Beauty. Minerva, goddess of Science. Fortuna, goddess of Luck. Golden Calf, god of Money." It is for us to keep any such unworthy displacement away. Fellowship members have been given a perception, an understanding, that is denied to others. They surely should know the supreme worthiness of GOD, on the one hand, and the comparative worthlessness of idols, on the other hand, sufficiently to ensure that they "keep [themselves] from idols." The word here translated "keep" is the same word for "guard." So, we "little children" have learnt herein - what we ought to be, what we ought to do, what we ought to know, because we are members of the Fellowship. The other day I came across these lines, wherein, as in soliloquy, Anna Barbauld speaks of her parting with life here and taking it up again hereafter: "Life! we’ve been long together, Through pleasant and through cloudy weather; ’Tis hard to part when friends are dear Perhaps ’twill cost a sigh, a tear; - Then steal away, give little warning, Choose thine own time; Say not Good night - but in some brighter clime Bid me Good morning." Ay, all ye Fellowship Members, we’ll meet in the Morning! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 18: 02.00.1. AN EXPOSITIONAL STUDY OF II TIMOTHY - TO MY SON ======================================================================== TO MY SON An Expositional Study of II Timothy by GUY H. KING A LEADER LED JOY WAY THE FELLOWSHIP A BELIEF THAT BEHAVES CROSSING THE BORDER ======================================================================== CHAPTER 19: 02.00.2. PREFACE TO THE E-SWORD EDITION ======================================================================== Preface to the e-Sword Edition When I first discovered the amazing power of e-Sword, I was connected to the internet with a 56k fax modem. My enthusiasm for the program and its plethora of resources motivated me to stay up all night downloading its riches. I spent the next several days exploring the amazing variety of study material. As a busy pastor, I’ve tried to assemble a classic research library. As a busy pastor of a small church, I’ve tried to inexpensively assemble a classic research library. E-Sword immediately added many valuable assets that I hadn’t yet purchased; and those resources that e-Sword duplicated were much easier and faster to use than the paper versions. Since that wonderful first week, I’ve discovered many more treasures through Google searches. Then one day I realized that I owed a debt. I made a contribution to Rick Meyers (Rick - you are the modern day Gutenberg; should the Lord not return in the near future like I believe He will, you will do for Bible study the next 100 years what Gutenberg did in the 1500’s), and then started looking for public domain resources to convert to .topx files. And so my personal journey has come full circle: from the excitement of discovering e-Sword to the excitement of creating .topx files for others. Like Rick quotes from Matthew 10:8, "freely ye have received, freely give." Thank you, Michelle, Jeremiah, Isaiah & Micah, for understanding my debt and graciously tolerating my near compulsive computer use for hours on end. My thanks to the creator of e-Sword, Rick Meyers - www.e-sword.net. Thank you, Mr. Guy King, for converting your studies to eternal print. A special thanks to Mr. Virgil Butts of www.baptistbiblebelievers.com for typing the manuscript. Thanks also to Mr. Jason Briggs, Mr. Ed Sandlin & Mrs. Pamela Marshall for so enriching my own eS ministry. And of course - most importantly - my thanks to the Lord Jesus who saved my soul for all eternity. This Edition There have been no changes to King’s work, except for the following: Scripture references have been converted to Scripture hyperlinks using the "Format Scripture ToolTip." A few obvious Scripture reference errors have been corrected, as well as some obvious spelling errors. The copy and paste process may have removed some of the italicized print. While the words have not been changed, some of King’s emphasis may be missing. It is with regret that I have not taken the time to correct this. The sense is still accurate. [By the way - would you understand this paragraph without italics? Of course!] Also, the italicizing of the foreign words have been lost. It is my hope that the reader will be able to follow the flow regardless of these flaws. They - the flaws - are mine, not King’s. I am quite sure my edition of King’s work is rather imperfect. I pray that, nonetheless, it will be productively useful in the study of God’s Word. Finally Feel free to contact me with comments. You can reach me via e-mail at dm5thomason@bigfoot.com Also, if you convert a classic resource to e-Sword .topx file (or .dctx, .cmtx, etc.), send me your work! I’d love to utilize it! If you haven’t joined the e-Sword Users group, visit www.e-sword-users.org and check it out. This is a free group, with lots of third-party resources (like this one!) and help from other e-Sword users. May the Lord bless you as study His word. Dr. David S. Thomason Florida, USA 2010 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 20: 02.00.3. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ======================================================================== Copyright Information Copyright @ 1944 CHRISTIAN LITERATURE CRUSADE Fort Washington, Pennsylvania edited for 3BMB by Baptist Bible Believer ~ out-of-print and in the public domain ~ No Evidence of a Current Copyright for the Printed Book Found During online Internet searches of the Library of Congress database in Washington D.C., performed on 11-6-2005, no evidence of a current copyright was found for this publication. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 21: 02.00.4. DEDICATION ======================================================================== Dedication MY TIMOTHYS NORMAN COLE TED YORKE CLIF WOLTERS JOHN EYRE-WALKER I fear I have not been much of a Paul to you: but, in your different ways, as my young colleagues in the Work, you have been splendid Timothys to me. Accept this book as a token of my grateful remembrance, of my continued prayers, and of my abiding affection. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 22: 02.00.5. FOREWARD ======================================================================== Foreward It is not usually considered to be polite to read other people’s letters; but for eighteen weeks, at our Bible School, we have been venturing to look over Timothy’s shoulder as he read this one; and we have made the discovery that, while it all con­cerned him, almost all of it also applied to us. I have been asked now to pass on to a wider circle what we have seen in the letter, for it transpires that, although it is a private communica­tion, it is nevertheless intended to be public property, among believers. May the HOLY SPIRIT, who inspired Paul’s writing, assist our learning, and quicken our living. G. H. K. CHRIST Church Vicarage, Beckenham. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 23: 02.00.6. TABLE OF CONTENTS ======================================================================== Table of Contents 01. THE PERSONS CONCERNED, 2 Timothy 1:1-2 02. GRANDMOTHERLY RELIGION, 2 Timothy 1:3-7 03. THE PASSING DAYS TILL THE PERFECT DAY, 2 Timothy 1:8-12 04. FIDELITY AND FALSITY, 2 Timothy 1:13-18 05. SOME THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD UNDER­STAND, 2 Timothy 2:1-7 06. THE GOSPEL GOLD-MINE, 2 Timothy 2:8-10 07. SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT, 2 Timothy 2:11-13 08. THREE WORDS, 2 Timothy 2:14-19 09. THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE, 2 Timothy 2:20-21 10. MEET THREE GROUPS, 2 Timothy 2:22-26 11. A MIRROR OF LAST DAYS, 2 Timothy 3:1-9 12. BUT - WHAT A DIFFERENCE! 2 Timothy 3:10-13 13. A THOROUGH-GOING BIBLE MAN, 2 Timothy 3:14-17 14. PICTURE OF A PREACHER, 2 Timothy 4:1-5 15. AT THE END OF THE ROAD, 2 Timothy 4:6-8 16. SNAPSHOTS OF SIX SOLDIERS, 2 Timothy 4:9-12 17. ON REMAND, 2 Timothy 4:13-18 18. JUST A LAST FEW LINES, 2 Timothy 4:19-22 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 24: 02.01. 2TI 1:1-2 - THE PERSONS CONCERNED ======================================================================== Chapter One -- The Persons Concerned 2 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. THE portion of Scripture upon whose study we now set forth is one of the most moving in the whole of the Bible. Taking its cue from the words of our verse 2 Timothy 1:2, "Timothy, my dearly beloved son," there is a paternal touch about the whole Epistle, which justifies us, I think, in entitling our study as we have done. It is a farewell letter at that. I need not remind you that it was written from prison. Paul had a considerable experience of such places - at Philippi, at Caesarea, at Jerusalem, and at Rome. It was the Romans who imprisoned him, it was the Jews who brought about his arrest; but never does he describe himself as a prisoner of Jews or of Romans; always it is "the prisoner of Jesus Christ". It was for his loyalty to the MASTER that he was incarcerated; and therefore there was no shame about it - but only a glorying in it. One of the longest "stretches" that he ever did was his first imprisonment at Rome, described for us in the two closing verses of the Book of Acts. That was a very lenient experience, as we know. Throughout the whole of the two years his friends were allowed to come and go as they pleased, and he was able to exercise a very considerable ministry. Our point at the moment is that he wrote some of his most remarkable letters in that prison - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. But all that was, perhaps, six years ago. Much has happened since. He was eventually released, and no doubt proceeded once more on his missionary tours. We have no precise record of his wander­ings and doings at that period; but there is every likelihood of his having fulfilled the wishes and intentions that we find scattered about his various Letters, by visiting the places mentioned. Ephesus, Macedonia, Nicopolis, Crete, Miletus, Troas, Spain - ­these were probably amongst the many places where he worked, and some would say that he came even to Britain. That notion is not to be too lightly dismissed, for there are not a few pointers in that direction, as Miss Strode-Jackson shows in her fascinating book, Lives and Legends of Apostles and Evangelists. At Ephesus, where he had previously laboured so long, he would find quite a company of believers; and he seems now to have coordinated the work, and to have left Timothy in charge as Pastor and (though not in our modern development of the office) as Bishop. The same sort of thing appears to have taken place at Crete, where another of the apostle’s Young Men was left in command, in the person of Titus. It was to give them guidance for the proper exercise of their responsible duties that Paul wrote the First Epistle to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus, which, with this II Timothy, are known as the Pastoral Epistles, or Letters to Pastors. Then, all of a sudden, Paul was re-arrested. Things were not all that they should be in the Roman Empire, and she had come to be nervously on edge - fearful of secret societies, and so forth. Among these latter would be the little companies of Christians, meeting in private houses; and we may be quite sure that the Jews did not fail to stir up bitter feeling, and to stoke up the fires of fear, against the Christians. So "the followers of the Nazarene" came to be disliked in many quarters, and it only wanted a match to set everything ablaze. That "match", in an almost literal sense, came from the Emperor Nero himself. In his madness, he set fire to his capital city of Rome, and then, in order to screen himself, he blamed the Christians, giving it out that they were guilty of the crime. It is not difficult to imagine the outburst of fury against these already suspected and unpopular people. A great wave of persecution broke forth, in the midst of which that intrepid leader of the Christians, Paul himself, was borne back to prison, to the triumphant glee of his enemies. This time it was to be, not the lenient experience of his former Roman detention, but the far more stringent experience of the rigour and squalor of the county jail. This is for him the end - and he knows it; yet he is calm enough. He had wanted to "go" before, since that would have been "to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better", (Php 1:23). His only wish for life was that perhaps he was in some sense "needful" to his brethren. If now that need has been discharged, if now he has finished his course, he is not sad, but glad - his heart is at peace. Yet, as he thinks things over, he quite naturally dwells upon the little Christian communities that he will be leaving behind. How will they fare? And their leaders - how will they acquit themselves? Young Timothy, for instance, charged with the oversight of the believing companies of Ephesus, with all the extra responsibilities and perplexities arising out of the new persecution, how will he discharge his functions? (a) He is only young - round about thirty-six, shall we say; and that is no age for such a task as his. (b) He is decidedly delicate - a year earlier, in his first letter (1 Timothy 5:23) Paul had counselled him, "Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities," Not, you will observe, for sociability’s sake, or for your thirst’s sake; and, not a lot, but only a little. It reminds me more of the medicine bottle than of the wine bottle! But how will his health stand the strain? (c) He is rather timid - yet, like so many such, capable of utmost daring when the crisis comes. Still, the dangers will be very great, and there is the risk of collapse. (d) He is evidently dependent - the sort that leans very much on others. Paul is his prop, as well as his hero. He is the type that makes a splendid follower, but is normally not likely to shine as a leader - yet he has got to lead. He is all right so long as he can turn for advice and help to his spiritual father; but now that Paul is imprisoned and un-get-at-able, he will be feeling very lonely and very lost. How well able is our GOD to overrule all these personal weaknesses, and to make Timothy, as we believe He did, "a good soldier of JESUS CHRIST," ready to "endure hardness" in the Great Campaign (2 Timothy 2:3). Well, Paul will send him a letter, to cheer and to encourage him - a letter that, so far as we know, turns out to be the last that he ever wrote. "Only Luke is with me," says Paul in 2 Timothy 4:11, so presumably it was to Dr. Luke that the letter was dictated. He would have this especial interest - acting as his Leader’s amanuensis on this occasion, that he too knew Timothy well, and, as the physician of the party when they travelled about together, doubtless prescribed for the young man’s ailments. Yes - like Paul­, Luke would have a soft spot in his heart for Timothy, and would be only too glad to "take down" and to transcribe this great communication for him. Just at the moment we are concerned with the opening passages which, as we have said, describe the persons concerned. In the course of the whole Epistle no less than twenty-nine people are mentioned by name; and here, in these first two verses, we have the three who are the principal concern of the letter; and first there is­ THE OLD MAN WHO IS THE WRITER "Paul the aged" is his own description of himself in Philemon 1:9. That was written six years before this, when Paul was only just turned sixty; and unless, as some think, the word should be "the ambassador", we are presented to a man old before his time. He had always lived at a great pace, never sparing himself, always putting everything into everything. It was with him as it was with his MASTER, of whom the Jews said (John 8:57): "Thou art not yet fifty years old," when He was only just over thirty! So he commences to dictate, "Paul" - for, unlike ourselves, the Eastern letter-writer always began with his name. (a) The use of his name serves several purposes. It reminds us, for one thing, that the letter is a human document. When the HOLY SPIRIT, according to 2 Peter 1:21, "moved" the "holy men of God" to write the Holy Scriptures, His method of inspiration was of such a nature that it did not abrogate their distinctive person­alities and reduce them to automata. In mysterious fashion, the words written were their words, as well as His words: His words, as well as their words. Thus we find in all the writings the individual characteristics of the writers. In the case of a man like Paul who wrote several Scriptures there may appear divergences of use, fully accounted for by the differences of circumstance, or by the passage of time; yet, for all that, there is generally a sufficient stratum of likeness of characteristic to establish the author’s identity. These are many words in this Epistle - Dr. Graham Scroggie says there are seventy-seven of them - which do not occur in any other of his letters, and that is one of the reasons why some scholars have held that the Pauline authorship of II Timothy is questionable. Yet how many charac­teristic touches are here. Dr. Plummer is constrained to say of this supposition of forgery, "The person who forged the Second Epistle to Timothy in the name of the Apostle Paul must indeed have been a genius". It is the almost universal testimony that all these three Pastoral Epistles - for surely they must stand or fall together - are genuinely the work of Paul. Even as they are also the work of the HOLY SPIRIT. Again, what a deeply loved figure will that name conjure up to the mind of Timothy. The word "Paul" itself means "little" - and he seems to have been rather a little man. Oh, but only in the physical sense: in every other way, when or where has there ever been a bigger? "His bodily presence is weak," is his own confession, in 2 Corinthians 10:10; and the first-century description of him, in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, agreeth thereto: "a man of moderate stature . . . bow-legged . . . bald-headed . . . long nose." No, nothing to look at; but someone to look to! What he had meant, still meant, to Timothy. To read that opening word of the letter would thrill his spirit, warm his heart, perhaps fill his eyes. Note what is here said of: (b) The nature of his position - "an apostle of JESUS CHRIST". There were times - for example, in the Epistle to the Galatians - when he had to fight for his claim to the title. Timothy will not dispute his right to it; yet, as he is going to speak in a tenderly loving manner, Paul thinks it necessary, by this hint, to remind him that he writes, not only with affection, but with authority. So might a king talk to his children - as their father, yet as their sovereign. (i) In the apostolate, he did not, I believe, take the vacated place of Judas. There are those who teach that Peter acted impulsively, and without Divine warrant, in moving for the election of Matthias. I can see no trace of evidence in the narrative to justify the theory; and I am quite sure that it would never have been advanced except for a splendid loyalty to Paul, lest Matthias should be thought to oust Paul from the place that he seemed so much more fitted to occupy. But how needless is all their fear and fuss. By the time Paul was ready, there was a second vacancy amongst the Twelve (Acts 12:1). (ii) In a sense, others, too, were apostles - for instance, James, the LORD’S brother (Galatians 1:19), and Barnabas, alongside of Paul, Acts 14:14. (iii) There is still another sense in which it may be true even of us - the word "apostle" meaning a "sent one". We must first become Believers; then we are to advance to the status of Disciples - for I cannot but believe that a disciple is something further on than a Christian, in view of the stringent condition of discipleship, "Whosoever . . . forsaketh not all that he hath . . . cannot be My disciple," as Luke 14:33 [see also verses Luke 14:26-27] has it. No such condition is attached to becoming a Christian: surely Ephesians 2:8-9 makes that perfectly clear. The disciple is the "learner"; and the MASTER cannot teach as He would unless, and until, the scholar is prepared to obey completely and follow absolutely. Now are we ready to take the higher place, to become "apostles" - those who are sent on His errands and on His business? ***BBB NOTE: The word "apostolos" means "sent one" and is applied to missionaries today. I believe it is in this limited sense that the author is using it here. *** Recall how, in Mark 3:14, He ordained the twelve original apostles "that they should be with Him [disciples, to be taught], and that He might send them forth [apostles, to be sent]". In our lesser degree may we, too, be of truly apostolic rank - qualifying for the post by the thorough-­going quality of our discipleship. It is deeply interesting to observe: (c) The explanation of his appointment - "by the will of God". Paul did not grasp it for himself, did not pull strings to get it, did not even choose it on his own account. He became an apostle, not by his choice, his will, but GOD’S. As the risen LORD JESUS explained to Ananias, in Acts 9:15, "He is a chosen vessel unto Me." How happy are we if, by His grace, we have reached that place where, in the matter of our life’s work, and of its great decisions, we are content to leave the choice to Him. To be in the place, and at the work, of His appointment is, indeed, the secret of richest blessing and deepest rest. Ours but to Trust and Obey: all further responsi­bility is on His shoulder, not ours! When such a relationship is established, we may humbly, yet confidently, look to Him - to guide us, to guard us, to gird us, and, if necessary, to goad us. There is revealed here also (d) The purpose in his call - "according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus". "On the lines of . . .’, says Moule; "in pursuance of . . .’, says Alford; "in the service of . . .", says Moffatt. The force of that "accord­ing to" seems then to be that his call to the apostolate was given him for the purpose of his publishing that "good news" of the promise of life to the needy sons and daughters of men. Put it this way: (a) The water - "the promise of life"; (b) the spring­ "which is in Christ Jesus," an inexhaustible Fountain; (c) the vessel - destined to come to the spring, and to carry the promised water: "a chosen vessel . . . to bear My Name", which is very Water of Life to famishing souls. Oh, blessed privilege, matchless joy - which, in our smaller measure, may be ours, as well as Paul’s. Thus much, then, are we permitted to know about the old man who writes this letter - the letter of a father to his son. And now for­ THE YOUNG MAN WHO IS THE READER Young, for it is only a year before that he wrote him in his First Epistle (1 Timothy 4:12), "Let no man despise thy youth." We shall learn a great deal about him in the course of our studies; but, for the moment, in this preliminary glance, we shall add one or two things to what we have already said: (a) A great up­bringing - is an outstanding feature in the attractive picture. His home was at Lystra, his father being a Greek, and his mother a Jewess. It looks as if his father had died when Timothy was but a little chap, and his upbringing seems thus fortunately to have been in the hands of his mother and dear old grannie. The mention of the "faith" of these two godly souls, in 2 Timothy 1:5, and the "scriptures" in the home, in 2 Timothy 3:15, indicates the religious tone of the nurture that the growing boy enjoyed. Edersheim, in his Sketches of Jewish Social Life, p. 115 ff., gives an interesting account of what his education was likely to have been. Then, in the course of time, two preachers came to the town, Acts 14:6-7. Their names were Barnabas and Paul; but because of a great miracle they wrought, they were, on the ground of an old legend, renamed by the people, Jupiter and Mercury. Person­ally I feel they would more nearly answer to, shall we say, Sankey and Moody - with Paul in the latter role, "because he was the chief speaker". Timothy was only a boy at the time, but he was greatly attracted by Paul, and deeply impressed by the preaching, the stoning, and the raising of the bold missioner. By the time we reach Acts 16:1-3, Timothy has developed into a splendid young Christian, a "disciple", learning and willing to learn, "well reported" by the brethren, and when Paul visits the town again, and observes the spiritual growth and worth of him, he takes him on to his mission party. The great evangelist always liked to have young men with him, not only as cheery com­panions, but that they might be trained for the work - John Mark had proved a disappointment; now Timothy could take his place; young Titus was another of them. There existed between Paul and Timothy: (b) A great relation­ship - we said that, on the apostle’s first visit, the youngster was very attracted by him, but evidently there was very much more in it than that: Paul then led the boy to the SAVIOUR. So he called him "my dearly beloved son", and in his first Epistle to him (2 Timothy 1:2), "my own son in the faith"; and in referring to him, in Php 2:22, he says, "as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel". There was a very beautiful and intimate companionship between this older man and younger man - this Father and Son. And note here: (c) A great prayer - Paul desires of GOD that Timothy may have "grace, mercy, and peace". It is an inter­esting thing that, in all the greetings of his other letters, his wishes are "grace and peace"; only in I and II Timothy, and in Titus, is "mercy" added. In an impish mood, Liddon once said that the reason was that they were bishops, and that bishops had such need of mercy! We shall not be so rash, or so impious, as to endorse the brother’s frivolity. But what depths of meaning are in the words as they stand - "grace", for every service; "mercy", for every failure; "peace", for every circumstance. How Timothy would need them all; how we need them all - whether in times of persecution, as in his case, or in more ordinary times, as in ours. These blessings are to come from: (d) A great source - "from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord". - Grace from that Fountain Head is inexhaustible - ever sufficient for every possible need, as it arises. - Mercy is there in abundance in the Heart of Love, for all who fail and fall, that they may get up and go on again. - Peace beyond all human explanation is within our reach from Him Who, even as He stood consciously on the threshold of Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha, could speak of "My peace," John 14:27. If only, in actual daily practice, we were to reckon upon the Fatherhood, and upon the Lordship:- not merely knowing the Facts, but behaving as if they were Facts, for us personally - what peace, what grace, what all we need, would be ours, and in what rich measure. But now it is time we turned to think more particularly of the third of the Persons Concerned here­ THE GOD-MAN WHO IS THE SUBJECT In the whole of the Epistle He is named fifteen times, and three times in these two opening verses: "Christ Jesus". The letter is written by Paul, written to Timothy; but it is, one way and another, written about Him. He is the Subject. But then, so is He also the Subject of the whole Bible. Recall Acts 8:35. The Ethiopian is reading Isaiah 53:1-12, but he is completely in a fog as to its meaning - what is it all about? Philip explained that it was all about JESUS, he "began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus". It doesn’t matter what scripture you turn to, in some sense or other it will be about Him. The MASTER Himself "beginning at Moses and all the prophets . . . expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself". (i) In the Old Testament we have in story, in type, in sacrifice, in promise, in prophecy, the Preparation for Him. (ii) In the Gospels, we have the Presentation of Him - in Matthew, as King; in Mark, as Servant; in Luke, as Man; in John, as GOD. (iii) In the Acts, we have the Proclamation of Him, His servants going forth to be His "witnesses" in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1-26, Acts 2:1-47, Acts 3:1-26, Acts 4:1-37, Acts 5:1-42, Acts 6:1-15, Acts 7:1-60), in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1-40, Acts 9:1-43, Acts 10:1-48, Acts 11:1-30, Acts 12:1-25), and to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 13:1-52, Acts 14:1-28, Acts 15:1-41, Acts 16:1-40, Acts 17:1-34, Acts 18:1-28, Acts 19:1-41, Acts 20:1-38, Acts 21:1-40, Acts 22:1-30, Acts 23:1-35, Acts 24:1-27, Acts 25:1-27, Acts 26:1-32, Acts 27:1-44, Acts 28:1-31). Then (iv) in the Epistles we find the Personification of Him, the Christian life being summed up in such phrases as "to me to live is Christ," and, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me". (v) In the Revelation we come to the Predomination of Him - the LAMB on the Throne there, the LORD coming to the Throne here. So, in very truth, is He the Subject of the Book, as He is also that of this part of it. We know that (a) Paul is always concerned - with: (i) Sound doctrine, he has no use for spineless teaching; (ii) Earnest service, he has no room for idle and selfish enjoyment of spiritual blessing; (iii) Holy life, he has no patience with a profession which does not issue in consistent living. All these things will have their place in the course of this Epistle, as we shall see­ - for they are never for long out of his mind. But (b) Paul is chiefly concerned - with the Person. He knows that things cannot satisfy persons - not even spiritual things, heavenly things; and so, while dealing with the many things of the Christian life, he is continually bringing his young friend back to his association with, and his allegiance to, CHRIST JESUS. Oh, that our hearts may be enraptured by Him - that our religion, and our spiritual experience, may be not merely of any It, but of Him. "That I may know Him . . ., as this same writer expresses it in Php 3:10. Other knowledge, other experience, will follow; but this must Come First, and Abide First, "that I may know Him". You recall how F. W. H. Myers opens and closes his grand poem on "Saint Paul"­ "CHRIST! I am CHRIST’S! and let the name suffice you, Ay, for me too He greatly hath sufficed. Yea, thro’ life, death, thro’ sorrow, and thro’ sinning He shall suffice me, for He hath sufficed: CHRIST is the end, for CHRIST was the beginning, CHRIST the beginning, for the end is CHRIST." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 25: 02.02. 2TI 1:3-7 - GRANDMOTHERLY RELIGION ======================================================================== Chapter Two - Grandmotherly Religion 2 Timothy 1:3-7 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure con­science, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. THE young Timothy had motherly and grandmotherly influences brought to bear upon his life, and also fatherly influences: these latter not from his natural father, who, as I think, had died when his boy was only a little fellow, but from his spiritual father. Observe, in verses 2 Timothy 1:3-4, how tenderly affectionate the relationship is. (i) His love - "I thank God": what for? For just the fact of Timothy: for the way in which he had prospered in spiritual things, and grown in grace, and for the very great help he had been in the mission work. And also for the fact that even in prison, cut off from him as he was, in person, he could still do something for him, and something big. What was it? (ii) His prayer - If only we could come to a practical realisation of the fact that we cannot do anything greater for one another than to pray! Paul is so thankful to GOD that, in spite of everything, it still remains possible for him to help his young protege by praying for him "without ceasing". It is good to notice, in passing, that to "pray without ceasing" was the very thing he told his converts to do, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. So here is a preacher who practices what he preaches. Would that all we preachers were as consistent: all too many of us, alas, are some­what like the Scribes and Pharisees of Matthew 23:3, in that we "say, and do not". To do anything, even to pray, "without ceasing" - with the exception of breathing - seems an impossi­bility; but an old papyrus letter dug up from ancient Eastern sands helps us to get the meaning. I expect you know that these excavations have, through an inspired discovery of the late Professor Deissmann, thrown a flood of light upon the nature and meaning of the New Testament Greek. In one such, the writer complains of an "incessant cough" - meaning, of course, not that the poor man barked without stopping, but with constant recurrence. It is the same word as Paul uses, and which indicates not that he is continually at it, without interruption, but that he is constantly at it, whenever he gets the chance. (iii) His longing - is another thing that we find so pathetic here. "Greatly desiring to see thee"; the last sight he had had of him, the young man was in "tears" at his friend’s departure, and Paul, who was aware that he must soon depart this life altogether, would so love to see him just once more- "do thy diligence to come shortly unto me", he will write presently, 2 Timothy 4:9. Timothy, too, would so love such a meeting. (iv) His joy - in his "son" is evident; indeed, he is "filled with joy" at the recollection of his "faith". He recollects the very day when he led this boy to CHRIST, and recalls his advancement in the SPIRIT, as con­vincing testimony to the reality of his conversion. All this is in the forefront of the apostle’s mind; but in the background is - (v) His anxiety- lest, after all, this humanly timid young man should fail before the onslaughts of persecution, or sink beneath the weight of the burdens of his pastoral duties. So all the wealth of this big fatherly heart surrounds the youthful warrior in the fight; but our present study is to stress a grandmotherly influence. Paul, in effect, goes the length of congratulating Timothy that his faith is the very same as his grandmother’s! I wonder what the moderns will say to that? Doubtless they will impatiently assure us that those old "Gospel Bells" are cracked long since. Atonement, reconciliation, propitiation, redemption, Blood, salvation, and such like - cracked bells! Well, as somebody said some while since, the way to tell whether they are cracked or not is to ring them. In very truth, those who do ring them, instead of merely discussing them, find that the old sweet music is in them still, and that there’s no appeal like the old peal. Or, taking a different line, our modern friends will say that these ancient Bells need re-casting; we want some­thing more up-to-date; if you must keep to these old-world conceptions, at least let us have them in a more present-day dress; drop the out-worn, and out-moded, phraseology. That sounds reasonable enough; but the trouble is that in translating these old truths into new language, something of the old truth is so often found to be sacrificed. In trying to say the same thing in different words, you discover that you haven’t said the same thing after all. Anyhow, the keen, philosophically-minded, university-trained intellect of Paul was all in favour of what we have called Grandmotherly Religion. Some of its features are hinted at in our passage. THERE WAS A FAITHFULNESS ABOUT IT "The unfeigned faith," says Paul. (a) The genuine article­ - not merely of the head, but of the heart; not just an intellectual acceptance, nor a creedal assent, but a complete trust of heart and whole being. (b) Faith is variously set forth. You will be familiar with that description of it in Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". Or, in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s couplet­ "Faith is an affirmation, and an act, That bids eternal truth be present fact." (c) The late Handley Moule says, speaking more particu­larly, that "for Paul, faith means faith in CHRIST". Yes, as we said earlier, he always runs beyond, and behind, things, to the Person. (d) It is worth noticing that this quality is spoken of here as having "dwelt" in them - as if it were not just a visitor, but a resident; not merely a fair-weather friend, departing in foul. Some of us Christians seem to lose all our faith when the storms of life overtake us - when trouble comes, or pain, or loss, or bereavement, or failure, or anxiety, or distress, faith in Him seems to leave us; we read of those who, in such sad circum­stances, have lost their faith. The children at a Sunday-school treat were given as they went home, an orange, an apple, a bag of sweets, and a text card: Mary’s text was "Have faith in God," Mark 11:22. As she got on to her bus, a sudden gust of wind blew the card out of her hand. "Oh," she said, "stop the bus, I’ve lost my Faith in GOD!" Enough to stop any bus! But do not let any gust of ill fortune deprive you of your faith in Him. Verily, it is in the storm that faith should stand us in such good stead. Yet we let it go - just when it could be such a help! Do you recall how when, in the boat, the MASTER had stilled the tempest, He said to the disciples (Luke 8:25), "Where is your faith?" It had gone a-walking, when its presence would have proved such a stand-by. (e) This faith in Him should be both initial and continual - that first act of trust which, by His infinite grace, makes us His and makes Him ours: and then the attitude of trust which, according to His purpose, is to be the secret, and principle, of our daily Christian life. Not only are we "saved" by faith, as Ephesians 2:8 teaches us, but also "we walk by faith," as we learn from 2 Corinthians 5:7. Such a faith is one of the fundamental characteristics of this Grandmotherly Religion which we are contemplating: faith in Him and faithfulness to Him - a simple trust; a stedfast fidelity. "The unfeigned faith", which was the common property of this godly family, and which, please GOD, is shared, with all its attendant blessings, by every reader. And then­ THERE WAS A FRUITFULNESS ABOUT IT This was no sterile religion. James 2:20 has told us that "faith without works is dead" - and in this old-world faith there is a multitude of works to establish the claim that it is very much alive. The MASTER said, in Matthew 7:20, "by their fruits ye shall know them" - and here we find such an abundance, and such an excellence, of fruit as to make it clear that this is the real thing. Let us look at one matter that seems to underlie our present passage, namely: (a) The fruit of personal contagiousness - the faith is passed on from one to another, one "catches" it from another; and that is a true mark and sign of spiritual life. (i) "First in thy grandmother Lois" - I wonder how she got it? Was she a fruit of Paul’s ministry? We do not know; but I hazard the suggestion that she was already a believer when the apostle first visited her home town of Lystra. Perhaps, indeed, she was one of that first number of "about three thousand" who found CHRIST on the day of Pentecost. After all, that group consisted of people gathered at Jerusalem for the Feast from far and near, and when it was over they scattered again, returning to their homes, some of them at long distances. How often, for instance, have people discussed how there came to be a church in Rome. Well, but Acts 2:10 tells us that there were "strangers of Rome" on the Pentecostal occasion. What is more likely than that some of those were amongst the converts? And then they would go back to their own city and "infect" others for CHRIST. So the little church would begin with the little company, perchance even the solitary individual, who had caught the faith that day in Jerusalem. There is a very interesting descrip­tion given to us, in Acts 21:16, of a Christian named Mnason of Cyprus; it calls him "an old disciple", and the word used does not confine itself simply to his accumulation of years, like, for example, that one we have already noted in Philemon 1:9, in which the apostle is named "Paul the aged". The HOLY SPIRIT’s word about Mnason is one that would not be an error to think of the phase as "an original disciple" - another of the Pentecostal fruits, I suggest. Or was he one of the Master’s own results during His ministry? I wonder, then, if this old lady Lois belonged to the same class? Certainly among those attending the Feast were "dwellers" in many of the districts neighbouring on her own. Of course, the important thing is, not how she came to know the SAVIOUR, but the fact that she did so come to know Him. Still, it is interesting to see the way people find their way to Him. (ii) "And thy mother Eunice" - I think I can see how it happened to her. Old lady Lois returns home a converted woman; and her faith being of a healthy quality, she longs to win others for the MASTER. But where shall she begin, whom shall she try first? Why, in her own home, of course: her daughter, Eunice. If only she can win her, what a difference it will make to the home. It quite often happens that people who become Christians, and who have an urge to serve, are perplexed as to where they shall start. The New Testament is clear and positive on that point. Why, this very Paul, in his First Epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:4) says, "learn first to show piety at home" - some find that the hardest place of all: but none will deny that it is the most natural place in which to commence. And you will recall the most authoritative statement of all upon the subject, which we find in Mark 5:19. The MASTER has set Legion free - ­in body, and, as I believe, in soul as well: and now, even as the LORD JESUS is going down to embark in the boat, His new convert conceives the idea of going with Him on His mission, that he might, in his own person, be a witness to the truth of His word. He would at once go as a missionary overseas: let the LORD speak of His power, and let him be a confirmation and illustration of the same. It was a fine thought: and I am quite sure that the SAVIOUR was pleased, even though He did not accept what he offered. As GOD said to David, in 1 Kings 8:18, about the building of the temple, "thou didst well that it was in thine heart," although He did not allow him to do it, so I feel certain was the LORD JESUS glad that Legion thought of going abroad as a missionary, even though He had other plans for him: "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee". Home first: that is the Divine order, "beginning at Jerusalem," Luke 24:47 - your Jerusalem, your home town, your home, your family circle. So Lois began with Eunice. And the contagion spread. (iii) "In thee also," ­we know that Paul was the one who was what we call the means of Timothy’s conversion; yet we may be quite sure that he was not the sole means. People are, almost always, drawn to GOD by a chain - Paul was the last link, mother was another, grannie the "first". I think some people are specially gifted, and used, to be last links: but all the links make their contribution. The "he that soweth, and he that reapeth" of John 4:36 are two links in the harvest - he that "plougheth" was, perhaps the first link: and when the golden grain is garnered, all the "may rejoice together". Let us see to it that we are touching people for GOD, having a share somehow in influencing them Christ-wards. If we are not used to be "last links" - let us make sure that we are not "missing links" in this great enterprise. Let us covet to be soul-winners, at whatever stage our winning con­tribution shall be made. So did the godly women of Timothy’s home prepare him for Paul to give the finishing touch. The apostle found it easy work to gather this fruit: It was ripe for picking when he got there. Ah yes, this Grandmotherly Religion was very much alive. If, for further confirmation, we may stray away from our passage into more recent times, we may consider what I may call: (b) The fruits of practical activity. Have there been any real lasting effects, and results, from this old-fashioned religion? Some people sneer at it: wait a bit - has it done anything worth while? If not, let us all sneer, let us continue to sneer; but what are the facts? Well, think of: (i) Its social conscience. Eminent persons exhort the Church these days on its social obligations; but this was a commonplace among early Evan­gelicals. The abolition of the Slave Trade, the passing of the Factory Acts, bear witness to the practical nature of their faith. (ii) Its missionary heart. There has always been a deep concern for the heathen world, "without Christ". I do not observe much earnestness on this subject on the part of our sneerers. But the old Evangelical religion sent Carey abroad, and Henry Martin, and a host of others, and established great Societies for mission work, both at home and abroad. (iii) Its earnest spirit. In spite of frequent accusations to the contrary, it has not been gloomy and dull, but it has viewed life’s responsibility seriously, as something for which an account must be given to GOD; it has not dealt loosely and flippantly with GOD’s Word, and GOD’s Law, and GOD’s Day, and GOD’s Things; it has ever carried that grand word "Duty" in the very forefront of its mind. (iv) Its holy living. Many of its representatives may have come far short of its ideals, but it has ever stressed the urgency of holiness, and earnestly sought it. The great Convention Move­ment for the Deepening of the Spiritual Life, which has brought such blessing throughout the world, is one of the results of this Old Faith. What we have termed Grandmotherly Religion cannot be so unworthy after all, if it has produced such fruits. And now for another feature­ - THERE WAS A FEARLESSNESS ABOUT IT (a) No unworthy fear - was there. "God hath not given us the spirit of fear", says Paul. Yet, if ever a man had reason, and excuse, for being afraid, it was young Timothy. Naturally timid as he was in himself; having upon his young shoulders the responsibilities and cares of his Ephesian church; face to face with all the perils and perplexities of a time of persecution - no wonder if he quaked before the situation in which he found himself. However, Paul writes to brace him up; he assures him that he need not fear, with such a GOD above him, and before him, and behind him, and beneath him, and beside him, and within him. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee", says David, in Psalms 56:3; but Paul would prefer the prophet’s word for him, "I will trust, and not be afraid", Isaiah 12:2 - ­an attitude which, as a matter of fact, the Psalmist did also himself afterwards take up, in verses Psalms 56:4 and Psalms 56:11. We will not dare to criticise Timothy for any tendency to fear, for are we not also much inclined that way? How often we refrain from some right word, or action, because we are so dreadfully afraid of what other people would think, or say, or do! Do we not hesitate again and again from starting upon some good course, or undertaking, because of that stupid fear of falling, of not being able, after all, to carry it out, or to keep it up! Are we not constantly halted, or crippled, in Christian endeavour because we are afraid of looking a fool! Well, this "spirit of fear" has no right to be there. As we think of the old worthies of past days, how completely free they were of all such unworthy feeling. Of course (b) A right fear - was theirs. Was it Lord Shaftes­bury of whom it was said that "He feared man so little, because he feared GOD so much"? The fear of GOD is a thing about which the Bible has so much to say: indeed, Psalms 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10 combine to impress upon us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Yet this fear has very little place among the moderns. You have only to mark their flippant familiarity with GOD - a thing so different from the saint’s blessed intimacy with the Most High, which is always accompanied by a reverent awe of Him. The old religion was shot through with this godly fear. A number of elder boys were out together one time when some piece of mischief was proposed. On one of them refusing to join in, a companion said, "I suppose you’re afraid that, if he finds out, your father will hurt you?" "No," was the reply, "I am only afraid I might hurt him." What a noble response; and that is, in part at least, what the fear of GOD really implies. The presence of this fear, and the absence of all other fear, make up together that quality of fear­lessness, which is such a marked feature of grandmotherly religion. One last element is suggested by our present passage­ THERE WAS A FORCEFULNESS ABOUT IT A distinction is drawn in verses 2 Timothy 1:6-7 between the gifts and the gift; and it is when both the gifts and the gift are duly and fully employed that there comes into life that forcefulness that is so characteristic of old-time religion. Think first of: (a) The gifts. Qualities which "God hath . . . given us" instead of "the spirit of fear". (i) "Power" - both for defensive and offensive purposes; both for the negative side, and the positive side, of the Christian life. A power so utterly, and so gloriously, adequate for every demand that will be laid upon us. Verily, "if . . . God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to . . ." (Exodus 18:23). How shall fear abide when such power con­fronts it? (ii) "Love" - this beautifully balances that "power," which might otherwise be a somewhat hard and harsh quality. Qualities are, in this, like pictures - the one needs to be balanced with another. Hence you get "the goodness and severity of God," of which Romans 11:22 speaks. "I will sing of mercy and judgment," says David in Psalms 101:1. So love keeps power in proper perspective and proportion. Yet be it remembered that love is itself the greatest power of all. And "perfect love casteth out fear," as 1 John 4:18 reminds us. (iii) "Sound mind" - that does not give us an accurate conception of what the word means: which is "discipline" or "self-mastery" - the "self-control" not "temperance," of Galatians 5:23, though a different Greek word, is used there. How infinitely more effective is a horse when its wild freedom gives place to a proper control. What a wholly revolutionised thing, will that wide-spread, sluggish water become if it is confined within narrow banks - able now in its swiftly-running energy to do things, and to turn things. It is all the difference between waters dissipated, or disciplined, that is suggested by this quality of self-mastery. Now it would seem that these three things are not characteristics to be struggled for. According to our passage they are qualities which "God hath . . . given us"; They are His gifts to us believers; they are there - to be reckoned on, to be acted on. What forcefulness they bring to the obedient Christian. Then there is: (b) The Gift. We have spelt this here with a capital, because it is not, like those others we have spoken of, a thing - but a Person. At least, that is my view. (i) Timothy had been specially set apart with the "putting on of . . . hands". In the light of the constant use of this sign, it ill becomes any of us to make light of what seems to have been a God-given ordinance. Paul himself had been thus "separated" for his life’s work, as we see in Acts 13:3; and now he has done the same for Timothy. (ii) At that time he had received "the gift of God," the HOLY SPIRIT: that is, as I believe, an Anointing of the SPIRIT for the special service before him. It is necessary to look at the little word "by" in verse 2 Timothy 1:6, lest we should imagine that it was the laying on of hands that conferred the Gift. The fact is, that the preposition in the Greek, when followed by the genitive case, as it is here, may legitimately be a preposition of time. We find it so, for example, in Acts 5:19, where "by night" means of course "during the night"; and the "in three days" of Matthew 26:61, is the same preposition and construction. This gives us, I think, the right to conclude that the laying on of hands does not of itself, as it were mechani­cally, and necessarily, do anything - it is not the Means of conferring the Gift, but the Moment which GOD chose for doing so. The distinction is not without importance. (iii) In what sense is Timothy to "stir up" the Gift? The verb is a significant one: Its main root means, "Fire," and two additions to it mean "Up" and "Life". So we have the figure of re-kindling a flame. The HOLY SPIRIT is, of course, often likened in the Bible to fire - we think of "the SPIRIT of burning," in Isaiah 4:4, and of the "tongues like as of fire", in Acts 2:3. Though He is always in the believer, He may have only a little place; but when we are what Paul calls, in Ephesians 5:18, "filled with the SPIRIT", it means that He has, so to speak, blazed up to occupy the whole being. It is our recurring surrender of ourselves entirely to the LORD JESUS CHRIST that brings about that infinitely desirable state of affairs: this is the stirring up, the rekindling. When the Gift is thus in control, and when His gifts are then in use, we find a practical Forcefulness of character, which is a peculiar property of the old "unfeigned faith". Shall we, then, in view of the hints and suggestions in this passage, be prepared to despise, and even to discard, this Grand­motherly Religion? Shall we not, rather, seek more and more to get back to it - back to its reality, to its sincerity, to its fidelity, to its humility, to its activity, to its virility. What was good enough for Paul, and for Timothy, is good enough for me. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 26: 02.03. 2TI 1:8-12 - THE PASSING DAYS... ======================================================================== Chapter Three -- The Passing Days Till the Perfect Day 2 Timothy 1:8-12 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not accord­ing to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immor­tality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am per­suaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. "AGAINST that day" - how characteristic of the apostle is that phrase. The thought was constantly at the back of his mind. As you read his correspondence, you note how frequently it crops up - sometimes he deals with it specifically, sometimes it just slips out. In this short Epistle he has three references to the matter: here at 2 Timothy 1:12, at 2 Timothy 1:18, and at 2 Timothy 4:8. So, for him, the passing days are shaped and coloured by the thought of the coming perfect day. In view of this latter, he would counsel his young son in the faith to be­ - NOT ASHAMED "Be not... ashamed", he says in verse 2 Timothy 1:8; and because, as we saw last time, he always practices what he preaches, he says, "I am not ashamed," in verse 2 Timothy 1:12. After all, what is there to be ashamed about in being a Christian - except it be that one is such a poor Christian. In very truth, it is a matchless honour to be a Christian. In one of the Italian wars of many years ago, the recruiting band was marching through the villages gathering young volunteers as it went, who brought their weapon, a gun, a sword, from their houses, and fell in at the tail end of the procession. At one place an old woman, stirred by the martial music, went hurriedly back into her house: she had no sword, no gun, but she had a broomstick - and with that at the "slope­arms," she joined the march. How her fellow-villagers laughed! What could the silly old woman do for the war? She hurled at them her spirited reply - "I don’t care so long as you know whose side I’m on". I hope that story is true, for the action was fine! Even if we have nothing but a broomstick to contribute to the Cause, let us bring that, and see that there is no question of our allegiance, that all may know that we are undoubtedly and unashamedly His. As for Timothy: (a) Shall he be ashamed of the MASTER he served? "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord". There is, as here (i) Our testimony of Him. In these days He is "despised and rejected of men," but in "that Day" He shall be crowned. How easy it will be to honour Him then; but how infinitely more worth while to honour Him now, in the days of His rejection. Have you not some testimony to give concerning Him? Does He mean to you something that you long to share with others? Is He not a SAVIOUR so complete, a MASTER so amazing, a Friend so altogether wonderful? Tell out, not something that you have read in a book, but what you yourself have experienced of Him in your own heart: this, and this, and this, I have found Him to be. On the other hand, there is (ii) His testimony concerning us. To give our testimony in these days will lead us on to receive His testimony in that day! "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will confess also before My Father which is in Heaven . . . . Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father," Matthew 10:32; Mark 8:38. Such is His own assurance. We do not forget that we may actually have some testimony from Him even now. You remember old Enoch, of whom Hebrews 11:5 tells us that "before his transla­tion, he had this testimony, that he pleased God". It was on this verse that dear Taylor Smith used so often mysteri­ously to challenge people: "Have you the testimony?" For oneself, one feels one can only turn the question into a prayer! "Ashamed of JESUS! that dear Friend On whom my hopes of Heaven depend! No, when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere His Name. And, oh, may this my glory be, That CHRIST is not ashamed of me." Well then, (b) Shall he be ashamed of the Man he loved? "Nor of me His prisoner". Time was when Timothy held Paul as his hero, as well as his father in the faith, when he was proud beyond words to be seen in his company, to be counted amongst his helpers - has all that to be altered now that his friend has been thrown into prison, and is under social disgrace? No, no, a thousand times, No. Apart altogether from the spiritual bond, and the mutual affection, between them, this Paul who is so dis­honoured now by men will in that Day be seen to be held in high honour in Heaven - shall Timothy, then, be ashamed of one "whom the King delighteth to honour"? Esther 6:6. But let us pursue the thought, for a moment, in a different direction. There is, I think, sometimes a subtle temptation to despise some of our fellow believers - those of a lower social scale, those whose mental development has been sadly arrested, those who are not as "out-and-out" for the LORD as we fondly imagine ourselves to be, those who are physically maladjusted. I often think that some of these humbler, or afflicted, brethren are going to have a high place hereafter, and perhaps we shall feel happier in that day if we have not been ashamed of them in these days. But to go back to the prisoner - how great a privilege shall we count it to have been the companions of GOD’s prisoners: a Samuel Rutherford, a John Bunyan, a Niemoller, a Paul. I am quite sure that, whatever else may happen, Timothy will never be ashamed of his great leader, in prison or out of it. Paul, you need have no anxiety on that score! Then (c) Shall he be ashamed of the Message he bore? Need he blush to think that he should ever have preached such things? His message is here declared to be a "gospel" - a Good News, not as the late Prebendary Webster would have said, "good advice"! We have had more than enough of this latter com­modity from our pulpits; what people want is good news, the Good News. But remember this begins with Bad News - the pronouncement of our guilty sinnership precedes the announce­ment of His gracious Saviourhood. Note in our passage: (i) How the Gospel is described. First, it is neatly connected with "power". That is why Paul himself was so proud of it, as he explains in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" - the word he uses for" power" is that from which the English word "dynamite" comes: the dynamite of man is unto destruction, but the dynamite of GOD is unto salvation. How immensely powerful is this Gospel. If some­times we miss the old power nowadays, that is not because the strength is no longer there in the Gospel, but that we have lost the knowledge of how to use it - afraid of handling the dynamite, we have taken to use soft soap instead. Next, we observe that through this Gospel He "hath saved us" - grand old word, though so shabbily treated to-day. It includes three things of course. As to the guilt and penalty of sin, "ye are [have been] saved," as in Ephesians 2:5, and here: it is all over and done with - you are once and for all, and for ever, released; as to the power and habit of sin, the word speaks, as in 1 Corinthians 1:18, of "us which are saved" as a matter of every­day practical experience of the power of GOD; as to the ultimate connection with sin, we shall be saved, in which sense, "now is our salvation nearer than when we believed," as Romans 13:11 tells us: we hasten on towards sin’s complete and final expulsion. What a salvation; and what a gospel! Who is going to be ashamed of it? Further, this Gospel brings no merely negative blessing: its positive side is that, in it, we are "called... with an holy calling" - if, as Christians, we are failing to live a positively holy life, we are gravely disappointing one of the primal reasons of our redemption, namely, that we should be "conformed to the image of His Son", as Romans 8:29 makes plain. How sadly blameworthy are some of us believers in this connection: how little "like Him" we are. In the Perfect Day we shall be perfectly "like Him," says 1 John 3:2 : oh, that in the Passing Days we might be more so! Lastly, this description of the Gospel committed to Timothy - and to Paul, and to us - makes it quite clear that its blessing comes "not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace". There is still a multitude of people, even many church people, who think that acceptance with GOD is secured by their own merit, that entrance to Heaven is gained by their own good works. How insistently does the New Testament combat that self-flattering idea! Although salvation is "unto good works" - that is, it commits its recipients to a subsequent practical Christianity yet - it is not "of works" - that is, our works cannot win it. His finished Work for us must first be accepted "by faith," and then our continual works for Him must follow, as the mark of our gratitude and the fruit of our love. Such is the teaching, not of this present poor scribe, but of the inspired writer of Ephesians 2:8-10. All comes of "His own purpose and grace": because of His infinite grace, He conceived the loving purpose of our salvation. When did He come by that purpose? Let us dare to take just a few steps into that realm of mystery, and note (ii) How the Gospel is prepared. "Before the world began," says our verse 2 Timothy 1:9. It was not a sudden whim of the Almighty: it was "prepared before the face (perhaps here = the existence) of all people", sang old Simeon, in Luke 2:31. Before the sin happened, before the sinner came, before the sinner’s world was - the salvation plan was drawn up ready. The Lamb, Who is the Plan, "was foreordained before the foundation of the world," Peter was allowed to reveal to us, in 1 Peter 1:20. That word "foundation" means "the architect’s plan". He has the conception of his house in his mind; then he sets about drawing his plans. With his thoughts upon what will be the needs of those who will come to inhabit it, he puts in this and that - kitchen, bedrooms, coal­ cellar, bathroom, study, lounge, and so on. Our word suggests to us the Architect of the Universe, first conceiving, and then planning, this World - House for the habitation of men. All the while, His mind will be dwelling upon what will be their need. He sees them in His mind, as if they were already here in occupa­tion of the house. "According to the foreknowledge," as 1 Peter 1:2 has it. The Architect knows that the chief need will be for the provision of a way of dealing with sin - so it is put down in the Plan. Even before the emergency of sin, there is the emergence of grace. In the course of time the Plan was put into effect and, as our passage says, "is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ." Hebrews 9:24 ff speaks of three appearances of Him - "He [hath] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; He has gone back into Heaven "now to appear in the presence of God for us"; and "He [shall] appear the second time . . . unto salvation". It is, of course, the first of these that the passage we are studying refers to, the time when He was "manifested" in the unfolding of history as the Eternal and Almighty Plan of Salvation. See here further: (iii) How the Gospel is exemplified - that is, how one example is given of the mighty things that the Gospel gives us to declare: the way in which He deals with death. That is, in Romans 6:23, described as "the wages of sin"; so that it would seem that, if He deals completely with sin, it must somehow affect the fact of death. Two things are indicated: again, the one negative, and the other positive. First, then, He hath "abolished death". Hebrews 2:14 says that "through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil". Abolish, destroy - it is the same word in the Greek; and its real meaning is, not to do away with altogether, but to render harmless, as you might take the pin out of an unexploded bomb, to make it of none effect, to rob it (death) of its sting, so that 1 Corinthians 15:55 can say, "O death, where is thy sting?" In the Perfect Day, death shall, like sin, its foul parent, be utterly, finally, done away; but meanwhile, even in these Passing Days, it is, for the believer, robbed of its sting, and need no longer be feared. Also, to speak positively, He "hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" - Dr. Handley Moule considers the phrase, "brought out into the light": it was once so dim, but now so different. It is interesting to reflect that some kind of belief in an after life is found in every race of men throughout the world: often it is very crude, but it is there. That explains the curious burial customs among some people - for instance, the burying of furniture, of a wife, of a horse, even of food, to meet their presumed need beyond the tomb. But it is all so dim. When you come to the Old Testament, you find many references, yet even there we are still moving in the dusk. Then, the SAVIOUR is "manifested": He dies, is buried, and is raised by GOD; and in that glorious resurrection the blessed fact of blissful immortality is "brought out into the light". Gather up all we have said about it: what a Gospel it is that is committed to Timothy - and to us. Who will be ashamed of it, or of Him, or of His people? Two ways run throughout this life, as the MASTER shows us in Matthew 7:13-14. On the one are so few, and they have had to come down so low in humbling themselves, and their lives must be lived in narrow fashions. Do they sometimes have a certain fog of shame in themselves, when they look across upon that other way, with the great crowds that press through the wide-opened gate, and that enjoy such seeming freedom and liberty? The MASTER Himself did not hide from would-be followers that the company they sought was a "little flock", Luke 12:32; but He hastened to add that it was the "Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom". Let them not dwell overmuch upon the situation in the passing days, but view it all in the light of the perfect day. Whither goes that crowded road, and whither that sparse way? The one to Destruction; the other to Life. Oh, where is shame? Let the believer rather lift up his head in proper pride - not in his own merit, not in his own achievement, but to the grace-given, God-given, privilege that has placed him amid the glorious company of GOD’s elect. Paul, in the storm, confesses GOD, "whose I am and whom I serve," Acts 27:23 - and verily, they are the words of the proudest man on board. Captain Julius is proud, for he belongs to Imperial Rome, and serves the great Emperor yet - even he is not so conscious of dignity and privilege as this prisoner of his; so humble in himself, so proud in GOD! We have been far too long on this first aspect of our subject: we must hurry on to observe another direction for life lived "against that day" - we should be NOT ASLEEP You remember how the LORD warns His disciples, in Mark 13:36, "lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping". Paul now offers himself and his experience as a guiding illustration to his spiritual son and successor. (a) He had a work to do. He speaks of "the gospel, whereunto I am appointed," or, as he puts it in Romans 1:1, he is "separated unto the gospel". Having, for himself, accepted the gospel, he was thenceforth, in some sense, committed to the service of the Gospel; but he was not peculiar in that: every Christian is, "By Royal Appointment," in the King’s Service. "To every man his work," Mark 13:34 : this for you, that for me; something for each. "That day" must not catch us unawares, slothful, slumbering. One of our hymnaries has a hymn, "Work, for the night is coming". The very next one is "Work, for the Day is coming". Well, either way, Work! Then the apostle is our example in that: (b) He had a zeal for it. He did not do his work because he supposed he ought to, or because he must: quite obviously he revelled in it, and never dreamed of slackening up. He was always at it- "a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles": - preaching is public ministry; - teaching is private ministry; - apostolising is peripatetic ministry. What an impres­sion we get of ceaseless, and tireless, activity. How utterly amazed this zealous warrior would be at those arm-chair Chris­tians that are all too frequently to be found in our ranks. Don’t you think that enthusiasm in Christian service is a quality that is becoming more rare amongst us? Well, the next thing Paul lets slip about himself is, that (c) He had a price to pay. "For the which cause I also suffer these things". When I find myself becoming more than usually religiously comfortable, I turn up the passage, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, where Paul details some of the things he endured for CHRIST. Very rarely can I read those verses without being greatly moved, and deeply shamed. My friends, it costs something to be the type of Christian worker Paul was. Whether you will be called to suffer physically or not, I cannot tell; but I am sure that you will be challenged to an expenditure of time, money, energy, thought, ambition, self. Paul does not want Timothy to forget that all-out Christian service involves a big price. Indeed, could he ever forget it, if, as is not unlikely, he saw Paul’s mangled, tortured, and supposedly dead body on the roadside by the gates of Lystra, as is described in Acts 14:19. Ah, but you see (d) He had a goal in view. Do you remember how he describes it in Romans 8:18, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed". There, you see, is his secret. It was the thought of the Perfect Day that enabled him to endure the hardships of the Passing Days. In the light of "that Day", he was: (i) eager to serve, and (ii) ready to suffer. His goal brightens even his jail. Keep your eye on that Day, Timothy - and you, my reader; and I, your scribe. Now let us go on to consider one further characteristic that our apostle would emphasise in view of this upward look, this onward look: we must needs take care to be­ NOT ADRIFT In Timothy’s day there would be many temptations to drift, and there would be many such also in our day - a danger of cutting adrift from the old moorings; a danger lest the tem­pestuous circumstances of our experience may loosen our hold upon the old realities; a danger of drifting into calmer but illegitimate waters to escape the buffetings of a more adventurous Christian life; a danger of letting go the old anchors that once held us to the faith. Such things have happened to Christians before now; but Paul prefers to remind Timothy of the other side of the matter, and still using his own experience as an example, he says that: (a) The believer is kept. This is one of those things about which he is "persuaded". There are things about which it is legitimate for different persons to have contrary views; and the university-trained scholar in Paul would make him the very last one to deny the right of difference of opinion in all such things. But on some points he was magnificently dogmatic. Things revealed admit of no question. In free and easy days, when, in the religious sphere, it is almost a crime against good taste to profess to be quite sure about anything, Paul’s forthright dogmatism has a tonic quality - "though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed", (Galatians 1:8); there’s iron in that. I suspect our blood needs a course of iron just now. Even the gentle John is equally certain when occasion demands; "we know" is one of the characteristics of his First Epistle, which, incidentally, was written in order "that ye may know" (1 John 5:13) - it is, to him, not enough to think, or to hope; he bids us rest upon GOD’s Word, and then and thus to know for sure. Well, after that long preamble, one of the matters about which Paul was quite certain was that GOD is "able to keep" those whom He has proved Himself "able to save". The storms of life might strain his cordage, and tug at his anchor, but the believer need not get adrift, because GOD can hold him stedfast and sure. But only if: (b) The believer is committed - "that which I have committed unto Him" is the condition, and limit, of His keeping power. When going to stay at hotels, you have often seen by the recep­tion desk a notice to the effect that "The Management will not be responsible for the safety of any valuables unless they are placed in the custody of the Hotel safe". The safe is "able to keep", but only if the valuables are committed unto it. In this latter event, they are kept safe until that day when they are wanted. Oh, restful, steadying, thought: that if we commit ourselves to Him, He will keep us gloriously safe "against that Day" when He shall take up as well as "make up [HIS] jewels", Malachi 3:17. About this committing to Him, Dr. Alexander Maclaren says, "The metaphor is a plain enough one. A man has some rich treasure. He is afraid of losing it, he is doubtful of his own power of keeping it. He looks about for some reliable person and trusted hands, and he deposits it there". And who is infallibly trustworthy but He? Now, the reason for this complete assurance exists only in the fact that: (c) The believer is acquainted - "I know Whom I have believed": the rest naturally follows. It cannot always be said that the believer knows What, or knows When, or knows Where, or knows Which, or knows Whether, or knows Whither, or knows Why - but he knows Whom! That is the essential, and the supreme, know­ledge. You will remember another apostle’s farewell message, to his friends, "Grow in . . . the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," 2 Peter 3:18. We should all of us progress from our first Introduction to Him, through all the Intermediate stages, towards that Intimacy with Him, which He so graciously, and so wondrously, allows. When Ned Weeks, the cobbler evangelist, who did such a remarkable work for GOD in Northampton, came to die, he was accorded a great funeral. In a public house on the line of route, by way of explaining to the others the reason for the crowds and the kind of man Ned was, one of the men said, "He was wonderful thick with the Almighty". It reminds one of Enoch, who, amid all the difficulties of his family and public life, and in face of all the opposite factors at which Jude 1:15 hints, "walked with God," until the day when, as a little child explained, "They went so far that GOD said, ’It’s getting rather late, you had better come home with Me’." To know Him is to want to commit ourselves entirely to Him. and to be thoroughly persuaded that He is quite well able to keep that deposit safe "against that Day". Yes "that Day" has been at the back of all our thinking in this section. Paul would counsel us to have the thought both in the background and in the foreground. He says as much to his other young helper, Titus, when writing (Titus 2:12-13) that "we should live . . . looking". Do you know what it means to live through the passing days with an eye on the perfect day? If you went to boarding school perhaps you would understand; for amongst their denizens you would often discover those who kept somewhere a mysterious piece of paper, on which was written just a series of numbers - say, 50, 49, 48, 47, and so on. It was "Days till the Holidays"; as each night came, a day was scored through - so the happy Day of release coloured all the varied days of term; they "lived . . . looking". And what of those wounded prisoners of war who recently were told they were to be brought Home? Each day since has been one day nearer the Day; that has helped them with the difficulties of the passing days; they have "lived . . . looking". It is our wisdom, our joy, our inspiration, our comfort, to look at everything in life as up "against that Day". George Meredith speaks somewhere of what he calls "the rapture of the forward view". He was not thinking of our present theme; but his words may well abide with us as we close this study. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 27: 02.04. 2TI 1:13-18 - FIDELITY AND FALSITY ======================================================================== Chapter Four -- Fidelity And Falsity 2 Timothy 1:13-18 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me: of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. WHEREVER we go, even in professedly Christian circles, we find the faithful and the faithless. Even the Twelve were not as faithful as they might have been, and one of them was utterly false. So, however exalted the position we have attained, how­ ever advanced our progress in Christian knowledge and experience, we shall consider our passage with real humility, lest we are, or should become, involved in its implied strictures. Let us prayerfully study the verses along three lines. And first­: THE EXPRESSION OF THE IDEAL The apostle speaks of: (a) "The form of sound words." What does he mean by this (i) "Form"? Some see in it an allusion to some very early rudimentary Creed; perhaps a Baptismal Creed; and it may be so. What we know as the Apostles Creed was, of course, not in existence until a hundred years or so later - ­A.D. 165. Since that early time this Form of Belief has been recited by the Church through the world, and I am bound to say that I am often thrilled, as I recite it, by the reflection that the saints of GOD in their myriads have "confessed" it in almost the very same "form". Some Christians greatly deplore having a formal Creed at all. I cannot understand why; especially as not a few of them quite cheerfully sign a Basis of Belief in connection with some body of Christians to which they belong. I quite fail to see what is the difference between a Creed and a Basis. But let that pass; for there seems no certainty that Paul was referring to a Creed at all. The word "form," carries the thought of a "pattern,": and Dr. Handley Moule’s rendering is "model". Probably we shall be on safe ground if we hold merely that it was an Outline, or Summary, of Christian Doctrine. Anyhow they were (ii) "Sound words." This idea of sound words, or sound doctrine, is found only in these Pastoral Epistles - and is there six times. The adjective does not mean "ortho­dox," as we sometimes employ the word, saying that a man is (or, more usually, is not) "sound"; And don’t let us belittle the importance of this soundness of orthodoxy, as some are inclined to do - even ridiculing it. Paul would be the very last man to allow us to think lightly of this quality; the prevailing flaccidity of belief would, I suspect, be anathema to him. A body without bones would be a useless, and an unbecoming, thing. We don’t want to be only bones; but we can’t do with­out bones. Doctrine is bones; and it is well to see that they are not deformed - that is, that the doctrine is orthodox. "Sound" however, in this place means healthy, health-giving-minister­ing! as these "words" do, to the spiritual well-being of believers. Paul now continues (b) "which thou hast heard of me". As any wise and loving parent will take care with the instruction of the child, so has this Father been at pains to teach, and to train, his Son in the faith. Knowing the essential importance of imparting true doctrine, he has taken every opportunity that presented itself to convey to his young pupil, in "sound words", the truths by which he lives. Is it not true to say that if we have a real grasp and grip of "sound words", we shall be little likely to be beguiled, and misled, by unsound words? Is not the best protection against the infectious "-isms" of our day to be saturated with the disinfectant qualities of the Sound Word? So we are exhorted to (c) "Hold fast". Because we may be so greatly tempted to grow false to the Truth, we are urged to continue faithful to it - holding it fast, as it holds us fast. Hebrews 2:1 tells us that "we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip". Fidelity to the Truth, as to the LORD, is something that Satan hates; and he will tirelessly attempt to seduce all loyal adherents. He will tell them that it is (i) Old­ fashioned - a thing from which we all are inclined to shrink: we just loathe being, or being thought to be, old-fashioned, whether in dress or in opinions. We are all for anything new­ fangled; and yet, when you come to think of it, are not the best things in life the old-fashioned things? The sun that drove before it this morning’s enveloping fog, the very air you breathe, the miracle of mother-love in the world of nature and in the human family: as old-fashioned as can be! And I am not going to loosen my hold on my faith about GOD and His things because it is old - of course it is; that is just what I should expect. Another ruse of the enemy is to tell us that those who think this way are (ii) A minority - and we do so like to be on the popular side. We talked a little about this in an earlier study; and we saw no reason to be either ashamed or afraid of being with the few, provided we are assured of the Truth. But a warning is necessary at this point. that we should "hold fast" the Truth, and "hold forth" the Truth. (d) "In faith and love". That is to say, that it shall be (i) Not just formal - rigidly correct. When we confess the words, the "I believe. . ." of the Creed, do we really believe? Is it just an intellectual acceptance of the traditional formula; or have we true vital faith in what we declare? Do we, in practical truth, rely on the Fatherhood of the FATHER, on the Saviourhood of the SAVIOUR, and on the Companionhood of the SPIRIT? Moreover, it shall be (ii) Not just cold - frigidly correct. We are to hold it fast, in love; the Truth evoking all the warm affection of our hearts. And we are to hold it forth, in love; proclaiming the Truth, not in a hard and harsh manner, but with a real heart concern that the hearer may be wooed and won by the beauty and wonder of the Truth itself - yea, of the True One Himself. It is, alas, all too possible to present the message in a self-righteous, and forbidding, way; and some of us have got to be on our guard about this. Ephesians 4:15 reminds us about "speaking the truth in love" - love for the Truth, love for the One Who is the Truth, love for the one who needs the Truth. Let us, by all means, have Fidelity to the Truth, but let us see that it is radiated by the right spirit. This spirit is that (e) "which is in CHRIST JESUS". Namely (i) As seen in Him. His ministry was ever exercised in faith and love; and those who would have Him for an example will take note of the kindly way in which He works and teaches. Even in necessary controversy, His aim is not to win points, but to win souls. There are occasions when it is our plain duty to enter upon controversy for the Truth: then must we be especially prayerful that the way we do it may be His way - in the loving spirit (ii) as gotten from Him. He is ever the in­exhaustible reservoir of every spiritual quality that His people may need; and the HOLY SPIRIT will unfailingly minister the supplies to those who trust and obey. So, as taught by that same HOLY SPIRIT, Paul unfolds for Timothy the expression of the ideal; and he backs up his teaching by an outstanding example of this Fidelity that he urges: - a fidelity to the LORD which is reflected in fidelity to His servant. He instances Onesiphorus, a man well-known to Timothy. He recalls his Love, at Ephesus - "in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well": the force of the comparative degree in the Greek here would seem to be. "thou knowest better than I". Some of Onesiphorus’ kindness reached Paul anonymously; perhaps Paul was unaware of the source of the gifts, but Timothy knew better. He was quite well cognisant of their origin. Paul also recalls his Loyalty in Rome - he "was not ashamed of my chain: but, when he was in Rome: he sought me out very diligently and found me". Onesiphorus was not just a fair­weather friend, who at first onset of trouble deserted him, ashamed to know a shackled prisoner marched through the streets like any low felon. Happening shortly after to go to Rome on busi­ness, he searched the place for Paul’s dungeon, until he eventually found him. Here was a fine fidelity which might well be an ideal for Timothy, if ever he should be tempted to be False. Dr. Albert MacKinnon, in his truly fascinating book, The Rome of Saint Paul (p. 207 ff.), has a grand picture of this man. He thinks he went specially to Rome to find Paul, and extolling the sheer courage of the journey at such a time of suspicion and persecution, says "He went to Rome at a time when every Christian was trying to get out of it." The slightly peculiar language used here suggests: (i) His absence - evidently he is not at the moment with Paul in Rome, for it says "when he was in Rome"; and it seems equally clear that he was not in Ephesus, whither Paul’s letter was to travel, for reference is made, in verse 2 Timothy 1:16, to - "the house of Onesiphorus," and in 2 Timothy 4:19, to "the household of Onesiphorus", without, in that connection, including the man himself, while - in our verse - he has a mention all to himself. Many scholars go further, and think that all this argues: (ii) His decease - they may be right; but we venture to consider that the implication of the language is sufficiently satisfied by his absence, for the present, from either of the two places with which this letter is specially concerned - the place of the Epistle’s departure, or destination. If Onesiphorus really were dead, some think that verse 2 Timothy 1:18, "the LORD grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day", gives us warrant for Prayers for the Dead. Yet surely the form of the sentence gives us, not a prayer, but merely a pious wish. It seems to me a very flimsy foundation on which to build such a practice and doctrine. The precarious nature of the structure is further suspected when we discover that an expositor for whom we have the greatest esteem has seriously offered, as another argument in favour of the practice, what he thinks of as the prayer of Psalms 132:1, "Lord, remember David". That the structure needs under-pinning is undoubted - but this is special pleading. It is another illustration of how easily convinced we frail mortals are when we want to be convinced, Whatever man may wish, and from whatever tender motives, Holy Scripture gives, in my judgment, no authority for the custom: to use words of the Church of England Article VI., the practice "is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby". However these things may be, there is, however, no manner of doubt as to the character of Onesiphorus. There is little wonder that, when the apostle contemplates his deeds of mercy for the LORD’S servant, he should break out with the expression of his desire that he, in his turn, "may find mercy of the Lord in that day" (cf. Matthew 5:7). So does Paul conclude his discussion, and illus­tration, of this grand trait of Fidelity; but then he turns to the other side of things­. THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE Note how he says: (a) "In Asia," This is, of course, not our modern Asia, with its Arabia, Persia, China, Japan, India, and so on. It is probably the Roman Pro-consular Asia, though possibly only the strip of that territory, the part which is called Pauline Asia - the area that would include "the seven churches . . . in Asia", which Revelation 1:1 speaks of. In any case, the capital city was Ephesus. In and around that famous town Paul had spent more than three years of ministry. He had met with considerable success, and had gathered around him a fine body of converts, and had trained a splendid lot of leaders, as Acts 20:17 ff. makes plain. What grand times they had had together, what ties of affection bound them together. Neither he nor they could ever forget the manifestations of GOD’s power in that place, both in the saving of souls and in the building up of His church. He adds (b) "This thou knowest". For Timothy had, for much of the time, been Paul’s assistant in the mission work. (I wonder if he took the children’s meetings?) He had been the spectator of all that happened, and had become familiar with all the people. And since that time of early enthusiasm, Timothy had now, for some while, been left in charge at Ephesus, to consolidate the work, and to regulate the life of the church - he had been set apart as the presiding elder, the bishop of the district. When Paul speaks here of "all they which are in Asia", so intimately is Timothy by now bound up with them, that it is as much as to say "all your Asians"! Well, how have they prospered? Do they give evidence of fidelity, or of falsity? To our utter surprise we read (c) "All . . . be turned away from me". I think we may assume that Paul’s arrest took place in those parts, and that, in his needs, he turned for help, and affection, and encouragement, to those upon whom he could so surely rely. To his dismay they dis­appointed him, they "turned away". Either they were ashamed of being associated with a shackled prisoner, or they were afraid of what might happen to them next, if they were known to be of his company. How deeply wounded he must have been. It is bad enough to be forsaken of any; but those people had been such friends. He had himself led them to trust in the SAVIOUR, he had been such an enormous blessing to them - and to think that they should, in the crisis, prove themselves so false! How wonderfully would the MASTER enter into all that His servant was feeling and suffering. For He, too, had been arrested, and "all the disciples forsook Him, and fled," Matthew 26:56. How precious it is to the Christian, in his time of sorrow, and dis­appointment, and misrepresentation, and suspicion, and loneli­ness, to know that he has the understanding sympathy of the LORD. It must have meant much, so much, to Paul just then. As Horatius Bonar has it­ "Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not; The MASTER praises - what are men?" As in the former case, Paul again brings forward personal illustration, and names two outstanding instances of this despic­able behaviour: Phygellus (one "l", say the pundits) and Hermogenes. They couldn’t help their ugly names, of course; but they could have helped their ugly character. Two things only do we know about them: (i) They were believers - or, so I think; and (ii) They were deserters - not necessarily from the LORD, but certainly from His servant; and we do not forget that Loyalty to Him and Loyalty to His generally go together. Oh, but if, in any sense, or in any degree, any one of us is con­scious of deserting Him, or of being false to Him, let us take it home to us that that need not be the end of the story. John Mark was a deserter; but, thank GOD, he had the grace of repentance, and he came back - to do such valiant service for his LORD. Simon Peter was a deserter; but, thank GOD, he too had a mind to return - unlike Judas, who "went and hanged himself" in bitter remorse, he "went out, and wept bitterly" (Matthew 27:5; Matthew 26:75), and that was the sign and measure of his repentance. He came back, to become so courageous and consecrated a follower. Alas, that the two evil examples of our passage did not repent and return, but apparently ended their career in the deserters’ camp. What a dreadful reputation to leave behind - a believer, but a deserter! How we shrink from it; how we long to be utterly loyal. But how? The apostle leaves us in no doubt, as, looking over Timothy’s shoulder while he reads his Letter, we too follow the words that bring to us­ THE EXHIBITION OF THE POWER Says he (a) "That good thing which was committed unto thee." (verse 2 Timothy 1:14). Shall we put it, "The truth [as it] is in Jesus," Ephesians 4:21; "The light of the glorious gospel of Christ," 2 Corinthians 4:4; "This treasure in earthen vessels," 2 Corinthians 4:7. What an amazing privilege that all we believers should have all this, for the rapturous delight of our hearts, and for the complete satisfaction of our spirit’s longings! What an enormous responsibility that we are entrusted with it all for others - we are trustees, we are "stewards of the manifold grace of God," 1 Peter 4:10; and "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful," 1 Corinthians 4:2. This, then, we are to (b) "Keep". But again we ask, How? We are such "earthen vessels," so liable to crack, under the impact of the forces against us. (i) Ridicule - how difficult we find it to stand being laughed at; this is one of the evil one’s most devastating weapons. More deserters are made from fear of it than from almost any other cause. (ii) Opposition - in friendly circles we so happily maintain our keenness, but we so easily crumple up at the least danger of opposition. Faithful in the church; faithless in the office - that is, alas, so often the sad story. (iii) Monotony - it is all very well when there is a measure of excitement abroad, a fine, successful mission, perhaps, or a deeply stirring convention: our faces are radiant, our hearts aglow, in Plato’s word we "walk on air" . . . But then we come down at last to plain earth again - the glow of Sunday Night is followed by the gloom of Monday Morning; and all our keenness seems to evaporate. Is that it? "Be . . . fervent in spirit", says Romans 12:11 to the fully surrendered soul of verses Romans 12:1-2; and a beautiful thought connected with that is "Maintain the spiritual glow". Yes, "keep" it going, "keep" it up - when life has returned to the ordinary humdrum of the commonplace. (iv) Temptation - shows no sign of diminishing; new allurements come to accompany the old; and if we know not where to look for the victory [such as, for instance, in Psalms 25:15] we are overcome, and even overwhelmed, and in despair we give the whole thing up. Yes, it is this keeping that is the problem. Let us, then, assure ourselves that because, as we saw in our last study, He is "able to keep that which I have committed unto Him," I, on my part, am able to keep "that good thing which was com­mitted unto" me. And this is possible to us (c) "By the HOLY GHOST". It is a most interesting, and most heartening, thing to notice how the HOLY SPIRIT is meant to be everything to the believer during this Age, in order that the LORD JESUS CHRIST may be glorified - what we ought to say, what we ought to do, what we ought to be: the qualities essential for all this are all found in the Scriptures linked up with the SPIRIT. In Him is all our possibility for everything. Take just one illustration, as bearing upon the subject before us. In Acts 4:1-37, the rulers in Jerusalem have Peter and John before them, and command the apostles to cease from preaching JESUS - indeed, they "threaten them", and "further [threaten]", with dire results if they dis­obey! The two forthwith gathered with the company of believers, and reported all that happened, and all that was said. What shall be done? Shall they be frightened out of their loyalty; shall they, by silence, be disobedient to their LORD, false to His cause? Well, they went to prayer; and this was the burden of their petition, "Now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants . . ." - What? Wisdom to keep their mouths shut? No, indeed! ". . . that with all bold­ness they may speak Thy word". Not for one moment did they contemplate falsity. Note, then, how their fidelity was inspired and empowered: it is in Acts 4:31, "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." In Him is our power to avoid falsity, and to avow fidelity. A final word on (d) "which dwelleth in us". He does not say . . . "in you," as the run of the sentence might have led us to expect; but "in us" - bracketing himself and Timothy together, lest it should be supposed that the SPIRIT’S indwelling was only for apostles, whereas it is, in reality, for all believers alike, "in us": you, Timothy; me, Paul; and all other. It is even true of the unsatisfactory Christian, if he is a Christian at all. It was to a very low level of Christians that Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "the Holy Ghost . . . is in you". They ought not to have been unholy, seeing that the Holy One was there; with all His power available to the believer for his holiness. But the fact remained that He was there, even though they were unholy. By our unchristian behaviour we may "grieve" Him, Ephesians 4:30; we may "quench" Him, 1 Thessalonians 5:19; but we shall not drive Him away - He remains in even such un­satisfactory Christians as those Corinthians. How sobering is the thought; but how strengthening. If He be there, then all is within my reach. Yes; but if we are to tap His mighty resources, He must be not only Resident, but President - He must not only have a place, but the whole place; which is what being "filled with the Spirit" means in Ephesians 5:18. Let us, then, habitually, and by faith, draw upon Him for the power for unswerving fidelity. In his exhaustive book on "The HOLY SPIRIT of GOD", that great Evangelical theologian, the late Dr. W. H. Griffith-Thomas, says, "There are three special features of Christianity in relation to the individual. The first is Conversion . . . the second is Communion with GOD . . . the third is Character . . . . Now it is the peculiar province of the HOLY SPIRIT to provide and make real these three essential needs of man." We will add but this, that having begun in us from the first step, He abides in us that, by our letting Him free to function within us, He may enable us for those other steps in the pathway of utter fidelity. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 28: 02.05. 2TI 2:1-7 - SOME THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN... ======================================================================== Chapter Five -- Some Things Every Christian Should Understand 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 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. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. IN the closing verse of our passage there are two things of funda­mental importance. The first is in that word "consider". One of the troubles nowadays is that, in the rush and hurry of life, we are largely losing the capacity to think, because we will not make time to do it. Even we Christians are, by the pressure of things, so curtailing our private meditations, and, by reason of the prevailing fashion of short snippety sermons, so starved of spiritual provender, that we rarely "consider" even GOD’s things. The word of Job 37:14, "Stand still, and con­sider . . .", is essentially a word for to-day. Then, that other word, "understanding": The ordinary natural man does not, and cannot, grasp GOD’s things, "because they are spiritually discerned", 1 Corinthians 2:14; but we who are spiritual should seek by the SPIRIT to attain to spiritual discernment - ­not only to observe His "acts", but to recognise His "ways", Psalms 103:7 - that is, to understand. Well, verses 2 Timothy 2:2-6 of our present portion contain matters which we believers certainly ought to comprehend: for instance­ THE STRATEGIC NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN POSITION If you are a Christian you are, in your measure, and in your circumstances, responsible for propagating the truth, and for passing on the life. See here (a) The links in the chain. The truth is (i) given to Paul; then, through him (ii) given to Timothy; then, through him (iii) given to "faithful men"; then, through them (iv) given to "others also". Every soul won is a new centre of influence. You see that strikingly working itself out in the case of Andrew and the rest, in John Chapter 1. Here is another striking instance. Richard Sibbes, an old Puritan, wrote a little book called The Bruised Reed. One day it fell into the hands of a tin peddler who gave it to a boy called Richard Baxter, who, through reading it, became in time the saintly Richard Baxter of Kidderminster. In process of time Baxter wrote A Call to the Unconverted, and by doing so kindled the flame in the heart of Philip Doddridge, who in turn wrote a book called The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. This fell into the hands of William Wilberforce, changed his life, and led the great emancipator of the slaves to write A Practical View of Christianity. By reading this the heart of Leigh Richmond underwent a strange blossoming, and, as one result, he wrote The Dairyman’s Daughter, which besides being the most powerful religious influence in the life of Queen Victoria, had a good deal to do with the transformation of Thomas Chalmers, who in his turn touched the whole world. Precious chain! Every Christian thus occupies a strategic position; in modern phrase, he is a "cell," a new centre of influence. Look for a moment at (b) The time of Timothy’s getting it. In the presence of "many witnesses" gives us a probable clue. Evidently it was at the time of his ordination, his setting apart, "by the putting on of my hands," 2 Timothy 1:6; but it was not only Paul’s hands, "the laying on of the hands of the presbytery" (1 Timothy 4:14), is also recorded. It looks as if, at that solemn service, there was included a public reading, and a public conveyance to Timothy, of that Summary of Christian Doctrine which Paul has called "the form of sound words". It was for the dissemination of this body of Truth that Timothy was that day set apart - in the presence of "many witnesses", those presbyters, and others. And if the young bishop should ever waver, there were plenty of such witnesses to remind him of the solemn occasion, and of the solemn trust that was there and then committed to him. So (c) The responsibility of passing it on - was once again pressed upon him. (i) "The same commit thou . . ." - we have already had the word, in 2 Timothy 1:12 and 2 Timothy 1:14 : we commit the deposit of ourselves to GOD; He commits the deposit of truth to us; and now we are, as Timothy, to commit that same deposit to others. (ii) "To faithful men" - those whose integrity and fidelity is to be relied upon, who will not swerve aside, from any fear or favour, and who have this further gift, that they are (iii) "Able to teach others" - so is the church advanced, and instructed, and organised; such is the machinery for safe­guarding the purity of doctrine. But this responsibility rests, not only upon the leaders, but also on the rank and file. When I was very young, a few of us got together and founded a new society - as if there were not quite enough already - and we called it "The P.I.O. League": we leagued ourselves together to "Pass It On." In spite of our many and patent faults, we did understand that every Christian was expected to "pass on" the News. It was a funny name, but a fine idea. Thus, through human agency, was the Way and the Truth and the Life to be disseminated abroad. You know the old legend of the arch­angel’s talk with the MASTER after His ascension back to Glory. Michael, or Gabriel, had heard from His lips the story of what had happened down here - how He lived and died, and rose. "And how are the people of the world to get to know about it?," came the question; and the reply. "Well, I have a little company of friends there whom I have asked to publish it." "But what if, for any reason, they let you down, and fail to do it?" To which the MASTER answered, "I have no other plan." Man is GOD’s method: He looks to us to broadcast the News unsullied, to publish the Truth unimpaired. As a matter of fact, how have we been getting on with it? A missionary was talking one day with an enquiring heathen. He told him of the wonderful Dying, and the wonderful Rising. "And when did all this happen?" was the question. "Oh, about nineteen hundred years ago." "What," answered the pagan, "and why haven’t you come to tell us before?" Yes, why not, when the commission was so urgent, when the plan was so clear, when the responsibility was so heavy? All this places the Christian in a position of real strategic importance; but have we grasped that, have we properly understood it? That lighthouse, set up there to send out the light to approaching ships - what a position of responsibility it holds. That wireless transmitter, made to send out its messages throughout the world, wherever it can find a receiver - for good or for ill - what a big responsibility it bears. When the MASTER says "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14) and "Ye also shall bear witness" (John 15:27), we see again the strategic nature of our position in the world: but do we see it? Do we understand it? Here is another thing­: THE STRENUOUS NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE It is perfectly obvious, from a study of the New Testament, that Christianity was never intended to be an easy-going, sit-at-­home, arm-chair religion, but a thoroughly vigorous affair. It has, of course, its quiet, contemplative side. Did not the amaz­ingly energetic Paul advise us to "study to be quiet," in 1 Thessalonians 4:11? But this is only for our better equipment for the fray. The "Hide thyself" of 1 Kings 17:3 is to prepare the way for the "Shew thyself" of 1 Kings 18:1. The "Stand still" of Exodus 14:13 is the preliminary of the "Go forward" of verse Exodus 14:15. The "Wait" of Acts 1:4 is with a view to the "[Wit­ness]" of verse Acts 1:8. Let us treasure our Quiet Time with GOD, let us guard it against any interruption, let us use it to the very utmost - spending the precious unhurried period, Reading from His Word, Listening for His Voice, Speaking into His Ear; then let us get up, and get out, and get on. For the Christian life is a strenuous business; unless the Scriptures give us a false impression. Look at the figures of it that Paul here gives. We begin with (a) The Soldier - "that warreth". A soldier has his times of rest, of sleep, of ease; but the whole purpose of his existence is a vigorous one. The word here is not that of a soldier on parade, or on guard, or on furlough, but on active service. There is a war on, and the man’s whole life is keyed up, galvanised into action. That is our apostle’s conception of the Christian life; that is one of the things he wants Timothy to grasp, one of the things that we, too, should grasp. And, if we may borrow words used in a different connection, "there is no discharge in that war," Ecclesiastes 8:8. We can look for no demobilisation: so long as we remain here, we are on active service, with all the strenuous implications of the picture. Next comes (b) The Athlete - "strive for masteries". It does not seem quite certain whether Paul here has the wrestler or the runner in mind; but, in either case, what an energetic figure it is. Look at the man’s strained muscles, look at his tense face: he’s all out! His whole being is thrown into the business of that encounter; as should ours be, who "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," Ephesians 6:12; who are to "run with patience the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1. And, by the by, that phrase "with patience" reminds us that our Christian race is no mere sprint - just a great brief spurt, and then all over! Some of us could make a big success of it, if it were like that; but it is the continuing that is our undoing - to keep on keeping on. Like so many of us, "Daniel purposed"; but, unlike many, "Daniel continued," Daniel 1:8; Daniel 1:21. The "hundred yards," yes, we could manage that - perhaps even in "even time": ten seconds of concentrated, almost savage, vigour. The quarter­mile, or longer - that is a quite different proposition; that demands stickability as well as strenuosity. That is our present race: not a sprint, but a long-distance. Then (c) The Farmer - "that laboureth". Some poor innocents imagine that a farmer’s life is a nice easy-going existence - with plenty of eggs, and pork, and honey, and fresh air, and every­thing that’s nice. Well, consult a Land Army girl and see what report she would give! The truth is so very different. (i) Constant toil - ploughing, conditioning, sowing, tending, reaping; always hard at it. (ii) Early hours - the farmer cannot afford to lose the first fresh hours of the day, any more than the Christian can dispense with that early morning time with GOD. (iii) Frequent disappointment - frosts, and pests, and weeds damaging the young growth. (iv) Infinite patience - for you can’t rear a crop, or reap a harvest, in a week: like the athlete, and the soldier, the farmer has to keep on, and on, and on. (v) Perpetual hum­drum - there is little excitement about his job, unless something goes wrong. There is a certain thrill for the serving soldier, and for the all-out runner, but there is no thrill for the busy farmer. Such, then, is something of the condition of his life. No wonder that Paul characterises him as "the husbandman that laboureth": Dr. Handley Moule translates it, "the hardworking farmer". There is no doubt, is there, that in Paul’s view the Christian life is a strenuous matter. But have we grasped that? There seems to have been some danger - perhaps on account of his delicate health - of Timothy shrinking from this aspect of things and, like the faithful father that he was, Paul would rouse him to a proper understanding of the facts of the case. The state of the world, and the heart of the MASTER, combine to call for more "labourers," Matthew 9:38. At this "eleventh hour" on the clock of this Day of Grace, the MASTER has to challenge some of us, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" Matthew 20:6. He wants Workers - not Shirkers. And next, THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE It was the MASTER Himself Who said (Luke 9:23), "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself . . ." - say "No" to his self, turn his back on his self, cross his self out. And as we go through our present passage again, we see how completely the apostle has absorbed his LORD’S teaching; for if Paul’s implied injunctions are carried out, then Timothy’s self must go - and our self, too! It is clear that (a) There are things to be put up with - "endure hardness". Remember that for Paul’s soldier it is not peace­time; there is a war on. He will have to bear the hardness of rough fare, and battle conditions, and perhaps cruel wounds. (i) He need not be surprised at this. Old Chrysostom said, "It behooves thee not to complain, if thou endurest hardness; but to complain, if thou dost not endure hardness." If the Christian soldier has an altogether easy time of it, he may begin to wonder whether there is anything wrong - whether he is as active as he should be, or so definite, or so loyal. If we are really "out-and-out", we shall almost certainly have to put up with some form of hardness - perhaps from the lack of sympathy in our own family, perhaps from the ridicule and opposition of our world. We must face the fact that, while you can be a soldier without hardness, you can’t be a "good" soldier without being quite ready to endure it. (ii) He will not be alone in this. Our two words are one in the Greek, - quite literally it is "endure hardness with," which Handley Moule renders "Take thy share in suffering hardness," and which Moffatt gives as, "Join the ranks of those who bear suffering." Paul’s immediate thought for Timothy is that the young man, if he suffered, would do so in company with himself: "Timothy should suffer imprisonment - as, from Hebrews 13:23, we know he did - well, so had Paul. There is a certain mystic quality about this companionship in suffering which takes some of the sting out of hardness. That is something of what was in Peter’s mind when he urged sufferers to stedfast­ness by the thought of their "knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world", 1 Peter 5:9. More wonderful still is Paul’s expression of desire "that I may know Him. . . and the fellowship of His sufferings", Php 3:10. Moreover (b) There are things to be avoided - "the affairs of this life": that is, of ordinary civilian life. Dr. Alexander Maclaren has written, "In Paul’s time there were no standing armies, but men were summoned from their ordinary avocations and sent into the field. When the hasty call came forth, the plough was left in the furrow, and the web in the loom; the bridegroom hurried from his bride, and the mourner from the bier. All home industries were paralysed while the manhood of the nation were in the field." He must not allow himself to get entangled with civilian interests, when all his energies are supposed to be devoted to the war. He must, for the time, forswear anything, and every­thing, that would prejudice his soldiering. A like sacrifice must be seen in the soldier of the Cross. He may find that he will have to give up certain things, certain interests, certain habits, certain amusements, even certain friends - not because any of these are wrong in themselves, but because they are a snare, an entangle­ment, to him; they get in the way of his success as a soldier. He will not criticise his fellow Christians if they find no harm in such matters - it is not his business to criticize; though, when asked, he is free to give his opinion, and to explain the reason for his own avoidance. Anything that interferes with our being the best that we can be for Him is to be sacrificed - however harmless it may be to others, and however attractive it may be to our­selves; even though it be so darling a possession as a hand, or a foot, or an eye, Matthew 18:8-9. Let it be made clear that there are many things in "this life" that, for the Christian soldier, are plain duty, family things, social affairs, business matters, that must be attended to - and done all the better for the very reason that he is a Christian - but the point lies in that word "entangleth": that is where the emphasis rests. When anything, however otherwise legitimate, becomes an entanglement, it must be severely, and sacrificially, dealt with. Also (c) There are things to be obeyed - "strive lawfully". The Christian cannot do as he likes, any more than the athlete can make up his own rules, or follow his own dictates. In the case of the Greek Games, which Paul was here thinking of, there were various laws to be observed by any competitor who desired to succeed - rules of the track, rules of the training. The one which I find so fascinating is that which requires that all entrants must show themselves to be True Born Greeks, none other were allowed to strive in the Arena: even as the Christian Race is open only to those who are New Born Christians. That is the first and fundamental law of our running; and there are other command­ments following. We are called upon to put aside our own wishes, to deny our own desires, and to perform only His will - "not as I will, but as Thou wilt", as the MASTER taught us (Matthew 26:39) by the blessed example of His own unique sacrifice. So, by all these various implications, Paul impresses upon his protege the sacrificial nature of the life to which he has been called - whether as a private individual Christian, or as a public leader of the church. Self is to go, every time and all the time. I often think, and say, that Self is the believer’s main problem. It has such a way of creeping in and spoiling things: self-­consciousness, self-pity, self-importance, self-confidence, self-will, self-seeking. "Let him deny himself" - again we quote the Master’s words. This is a law - perhaps the law: the Law of Success in Christian living. This is one of the things that we believers need most to understand - and, having grasped, need most to practice. "I must decrease," says John the Baptist, with becoming modesty; and that for the simple reason that it is of the very warp and woof of his ministry that "He must increase," John 3:30. Or, to quote our Paul’s secret, "Not I, but Christ", Galatians 2:20. Is anyone inclined to say that this is hard doctrine which we have been preaching? Well - not "we," it is Paul; and really, not he, but the HOLY SPIRIT Who inspired him. However, does it all sound too hard and too harsh, too forbidding, all this about the strenuous, and the sacrificial nature of what is required of us? All right; let us end on a different note, which also every Christian should understand­: THE SATISFYING NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN SERVICE In spite of the present cost, it is all so infinitely worth-while. If, from down here, we look on, or if, from up there, we look back, we shall confess how gloriously desirable the life has turned out to be. "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed . . .", says Romans 8:18. "He had respect unto the recompence of the reward," says Hebrews 11:26. "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame", says Hebrews 12:2. Well, what has our present passage to say about these abundantly satisfying delights? Take that phrase (a) "Partaker of the fruits". That means, doesn’t it, that we shall ourselves receive some enjoyment and enrichment from our labours. Done for Him, and done for others, yet we ourselves shall have gains for our pains. One is forcibly reminded of that beautiful provision in Deuteronomy 25:4 : "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." That is a hard job that the poor beast has got, very tiring and very boring; but why take his muzzle off? So that even while he treads the corn, he may eat of the corn. Working for others, he is a gainer himself. While he feeds others, he himself is fed. A beautiful provision of GOD for His dumb creatures’ welfare; and, after a spiritual manner, a beautiful rule of His service. Is our Christian work strenuous and sacrificial? Well, our own soul will be satisfied in it. That is the grateful testimony of every earnest Christian worker right down the years. Then (b) "Crowned". What is this about a crown? Why, this is the reward of the Returning Lord for His faithful servants, "Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be," (Revelation 22:12). This is the award which, in Paul’s eyes, was worth all the "toil and sweat and tears" of his utmost endeavouring, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," (Php 3:13-14). Dwell for a bit on that "upward" calling for the prize, the crown. Presiding over the Greek Games would be some important personage, perhaps even the Emperor himself. From his "royal" box, perched high at the top of the tiered seats, he would watch the contests. When the programme was completed, this Person would distribute the awards. A herald, in announcing the name of a winner, would call him to come upward to the Box to receive his Prize, amid the plaudits of the crowd - he had successfully pressed toward the mark, and now he has come to receive a prize at the upward calling. So will it be when Earth’s Programme is done. The LORD has watched us from His throne, as Alice Janvrin sings: "He who died for us is watching From the skies." When the time of the awards has come, He will give to those who have [not after the manner of Galatians 5:7] "run well" to the end, the "call" to come "upward", to receive their "prize", their "crown" at His hands. What then will they think of their strenuousness and of their sacrifices? The "fruits" now, and the "crown" then, will vastly outweigh any giving-up there may have been. When a man said to Hudson Taylor, "You must have made many sacrifices", the veteran missionary replied, almost angrily, "Sir, I never made a sacrifice in my life". It was his experience of the generous grace of his MASTER, that he always got more than he gave. But, if we want the gains, we must have the pains; or, as Dr, Alfred Plummer said, in summing this matter up, "No cross, no crown!" But there is one more thing which is, after all, better than anything we have already said: (c) "He may please Him." What greater glory can a human being have, what deeper joy can he experience, than to win a smile from his LORD? (i) At the start, GOD chose them - chose them to be soldiers. Do you say that bars you out, because you are so feeble and insignificant that He would never choose you to be a soldier? Oh, but wait a moment: listen to this, "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called [He doesn’t say ’not any’, but ’not many’). But GOD hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and GOD hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not [the mere nonentities] to bring to nought things that are [powers that be]: that no flesh should glory in His presence", 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. He has deliberately chosen just such unlikely people, because, when they accomplish anything for GOD, it could not possibly reflect any glory on themselves, all the glory must go to GOD, Who enabled them. After all that, you cannot doubt that He is prepared to enroll you; and if you company with those unentangled enthusiasts of His army, you will share their joy and privilege, for: (ii) At the end, they please GOD. It is a happy thing if we can please others. There is a type of Christian that seems to regard it as a mark of grace if they continually put people’s backs up, and are thoroughly unpopular. Surely not! If you can please people, so much the better; but always the first thing, and the chief thing, is to please Him. One bitterly cold winter’s morning, long before the War, the business men, warmly and snugly wrapped up, arrived at their city terminus, to be met with the ticket-collectors’ chorus, "All seasons, please!" So they had to unwrap and unbutton, to search in every pocket for the ticket that, of course, they had forgotten that morning and had left at home. Tempers ran out, and strong words, likewise. As one man came to the barrier he said to the collector, "I’m afraid you’re not very popular this morning", to which the official replied, with a grin, "Well, I don’t care so long as I’m popular up there" - pointing to the office of the General Manager of the Line. Splendid if he could manage to retain his popularity with the passengers, but the principal thing, the essential thing, was to be well-thought of by the Company. Would you deem me irreverent if, pointing my finger heavenwards, I say that the thing that counts is to be "popular up there"? - "that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier". To receive His smile - what honour, what ineffable happiness, what all­ embracing satisfaction, And we haven’t to wait till the end to receive it, for, as Hebrews 11:5 says of Enoch, "before his trans­lation he had this testimony, that he pleased GOD." Having come with me thus far, do you wonder that both Timothy and we need strength to carry out what has been laid before us? It will have to be a strength beyond our own. Very affectionately Paul reminds Timothy of that strength before ever he shows him why he will so badly need it. In the opening verse: "My son" - it is "my child," really; so affectionately does this father think of his son in the faith - "be strong [strengthen yourself] in the grace that is in Christ Jesus". You will only adequately strengthen yourself when you learn day by day to draw upon His grace which alone is sufficient to strengthen you for a life so strategic, so strenuous, so sacrificial - and withal, so satisfying, That will be, as we shall see later on, the very last word that the Apostle will write to him: "Grace be with you. Amen." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 29: 02.06. 2TI 2:8-10 - THE GOSPEL GOLD MINE ======================================================================== Chapter Six -- The Gospel Gold Mine 2 Timothy 2:8-10 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. WHAT a gold mine of truth and blessing the passage is: every sentence an ingot, every word a nugget, the whole immensely wealthy with the glittering commodity of the Gospel. We discover that THE GOLD IS ACTUALLY STORED IN CHRIST In verse 2 Timothy 2:10 we learn (a) That all is "in Christ Jesus", It is one of the outstanding emphases of the New Testament that everything that the believer possesses is "in Him"; over and over again does this phrase occur, and also the companion phrase "in Christ," You find this thought very prominent in the Epistle to the Ephesians; indeed, I am going to be so rash, and so bold, as to suggest that the many commentators who say that the key thought of that Epistle is the phrase "in heavenly places [the heavenlies]" might be asked whether they are quite right. Their phrase is certainly the theme of one early section of the Epistle; but is not the sum and substance of the whole to be found in the words, "in Him," "in Christ," "in the Lord"? All that we Christians need is in Him; but we are ourselves also in Him - so that in Him "our need and His great fulness meet". Imagine a bitterly cold evening, whereon a poor, hungry, ill-clad, shivering mortal is standing gazing into the dining room window of a great London house. The table is laden with good things in abundance (for this is not war-time) and the man realises that, with what is there, and what is to come, all his appetite and need could be fully supplied - it is all in the House, stored up in there. Fairy stories may legitimately take unexpected turns; so, as the occupants of this house are kindly folk, and as they observe the necessitous man and his eager hungry looks, a footman is told to go to the door, and to invite him to come in. Now see what a change is wrought in his circumstances and condition. All that he needs is in the House; and, wonder of wonders, he also is in the House - his need and its great fulness meet. It is no fairy tale - for "we have not followed cunningly devised fables" (2 Peter 1:16), but plain unvarnished truth, that a like blessed propinquity exists for all believers, seeing that supplies and suppliants are both alike in Him. But our passage goes further­ From verse 2 Timothy 2:8 we deduce (b) That this all is not only in Him, but is He. The beautiful truth emerges that He not only gives the Gold, but is the Gold; not only provides the Gospel, but is the Gospel. Let the first reader of this Letter, and every subse­quent reader, "remember" that fact - that he has to do, not merely with a thing, however grand; not merely with an experi­ence, however glorious; but with a Person, infinitely wonderful, and blessedly adequate. Note, then, how He is presented here. (i) His Person - "of the seed of David". It is His humanity that is stressed at this point, for He can only legitimately die for the sins of man if He Himself is Man; the only admissible "mediator between GOD and man [is] the Man, Christ Jesus", as we learn from 1 Timothy 2:5 - at the other side He must, of course, be GOD; but this side He must be Man and that is the emphasis here. How truly human He always showed Himself to be: it was no pretence, no make-belief. - In the Home­ growing naturally, as other children, mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially, Luke 2:52. - In the Workshop-toiling just like every other artisan in the village, as the Carpenter, Mark 6:3. - In the Desert - facing the full force of the devil’s temptation like ourselves, Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 4:15. - On the Road - feeling, as any man would, the pangs of hunger, if he left home before breakfast, Matthew 21:18. - At the Graveside - so closely entering into the grief of His friends as to weep with them, John 11:35. [By the way, this is only the shortest verse in the Bible in the English. In the Greek it has sixteen letters, but 1 Thessalonians 5:16 has only fourteen letters!] - In the Boat - completely exhausted, He falls into so heavy a sleep that even the violent storm fails to rouse Him. Yes, His humanity is all so real; and in all the storms and stresses of our human life it is a refreshing, and steadying, and stimulating habit to "remember that Jesus Christ," as the opening phrase of our eighth verse tells us. But you will notice that it is not only His humanity that is underlined here, but His Davidic descent. Dr. E. F. Scott, of New York, in the Moffatt Commentary, reminds us that "for primitive Christianity the descent from David was most important as the guarantee that He was the Messiah foretold in prophecy". (ii) His Cross- "the dead," is another thing indicated. It was for that He came to take upon Him our flesh. In the deep necessities of things, He had to die; but GOD cannot die. So He became man that He might have a body to die with - as Hebrews 10:5 says, "a body hast Thou prepared Me"; "Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree," 1 Peter 2:24. But was that Death accepted at the Court of Heaven? The answer is in (iii) His Resurrection - "was raised". It is most important to remember that the New Testament nowhere teaches that, by the exercise of His own mighty power, He raised Himself. Some of our hymns say that; but the Bible never does. He could have done so, as He specifically states in John 10:18, for He still retained His Deity; but He did not do so. Over and over again the phrase comes, "God raised Him." On the very few occasions when it says just that He rose again, it is dealing merely with the fact that He did, not with the power by which He did. I myself think that this is the reconciling explanation of the exception to the rule, which is found in John 2:19. In connection with the power thereof, it is more exactly true to say, not that He rose, but that He "was raised". A familiar illustration will make it all plain. Suppose a man imprisoned, to serve some sentence. Imagine that by his own strength and resourceful wit he breaks out. The crime remains unexpiated. and the law has dominion over him, and can arrest him, when found, and return him to his incarceration. On the other hand, think of him as having com­pleted his term, and of the Warden, the Governor’s representa­tive, the King’s officer, coming and throwing open the door of his cell, and the gate of the prison, and bidding him go free. He has made atonement, he has served his sentence; the law has no further hold on him, has no more dominion over him. Let us, in all reverence, transfer the figure to the case of our LORD JESUS. If He had by His own power forced His way out of the Tomb, we should not have known that the Sentence of Death was reckoned by GOD as having been fully and finally carried out. But the Governor (Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:9) sent His officer, the angel, who "rolled back the stone from the door", Matthew 28:2 - and the SAVIOUR came forth, in token that the sentence was completely served, the debt fully paid, the law utterly satisfied. The Cross was the payment; the resurrection was GOD’s receipt. We now know that the demands of the law have no further claim, or hold, upon Him, nor upon us who believe, because we are "in Him" - "death hath no more dominion over Him," Romans 6:9; therefore, "sin shall not have dominion over you," Romans 6:14. Well - in these ever to be "remembered" facts about the LORD, which make Him indeed to be the Gospel, Timothy is to find ground for his own stedfastness, and adequate rejoinder to those false teachers whom, according to Dean Alford, he would meet, and who flatly denied both the Incarnation and the Resurrection. So is the Gold stored in CHRIST. Then, next­ THE GOLD IS ACQUIRED WEALTH FOR BELIEVERS The apostle speaks of "my Gospel", as if, in some sense, he had acquired it for his own. At other times his stress on it was that it was "the Gospel". We all recollect his sublime intolerance of anything else being considered a gospel at all, in Galatians 1:6-9. Now it is "my Gospel": all the gold of it acquired, not by his earnings, but by his LORD’S legacy, and made his own by the acceptance of personal faith. This is: (a) For his own enjoyment. What enormous blessings come by way of the Gospel. See it (i) In the Nation - the "good news" is brought to a darkest Africa, or to a pagan Britain, and you mark, in the course of time, the almost startling transformation. I wonder what beloved, intrepid Bishop Hannington would think of his Eastern Equatorial Africa to-day, or King Caractacus, or Queen Boadicea, of the chang, in their Britain since the days they knew it, in A.D. 50 and A.D. 60, And (ii) In the Individual - what countless, measureless blessings attend the personal reception of the Gospel. The results that follow the acquisition of material wealth are but a pale illustration of what ensues from the posses­sion of this spiritual gold, Here is a house - dilapidated, dirty, a disgrace to itself and to its road. One day, activities are observed, changes begin to appear - the garden is taking shape and beauty, window panes are mended and cleaned, woodwork is painted, curtains and decorations attract attention. What has happened to the erstwhile repellent abode? Only this, that a rich tenant has come in to take up his residence. By reason of his mind and money he is able to transform the place. Just as the coming of the Gospel, in the Person of CHRIST, into a man’s heart and life will (unless something is radically wrong) com­pletely transfigure his whole character and conduct. To acquire such gold ministers to his own enjoyment. But let us never for a single moment forget that the Gold is also meant (b) For distribution to others. As the apostle uses that word "my" he would have us grasp that it is not only a Gospel for him to enjoy, but a Gospel for him to preach - a Gospel of such infinite and eternal worth to those others who need it that he is ready to "suffer . . . even unto bonds," and to "endure all things" that they may have it. Our enrichment is for their enjoyment. (i) Look at this in 1 Corinthians 1:5, "in everything ye are enriched . . . in all utterance," Why the "utter­ance" in such a context? I presume that the good news of the riches is to be uttered abroad, (ii) Even more clearly do we find it in 2 Corinthians 9:11, "being enriched in everything to all bountifulness," His bounty to us prompting Our bounty to others, that "through us" they may thank GOD. I take it that we may all say this "my" of Paul’s, as token that we have, by personal appropriation, acquired this wealth, which is Open to all believers who will thus have it. But let us underline it once more that this Gold of the Gospel is not for ourselves alone. And then we take note that­ THE GOLD IS ALWAYS FREE FOR CIRCULATION We have heard of money kept secretly rolled up in an old stocking, or locked up in the vaults: there is no manner of restriction imposed upon the distribution of this Gold. The people who need it are so needy that it would be a tragedy, and a crime, to hoard it up, and not to hand it on - "if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost," says 2 Corinthians 4:3, so we rejoice to know that it is free from all restraint. "The word of God is not bound," says Our verse 2 Timothy 2:9 - this phrase is just another name for "my gospel," which, in the strictest sense is not Paul’s word, but GOD’s word. In 1 Corinthians 2:1, he himself describes it as "the testimony of God." It is true to call it Paul’s word, with all its human and personal qualities and characteristics; but it is not the whole truth: the ultimate fact is that it was given to Paul by "revelation of Jesus Christ", as he confesses in Galatians 1:12, and was GOD’s word for sinful men. For the dissemination of that mighty word. the brave apostle was now brought "even unto bonds," never again should he be free to broadcast the soul-saving, the life-changing, message as he had so loved to do, and so "suffered" for doing. He was now "bound" - but even yet "the Word of God was not bound." It is true to say that (a) Age cannot bind it. On the one hand it is, in itself, both ancient and modern - immensely old, yet extraordinarily up-to-date: age does not tie it to an arm-chair, nor condemn it to a somnolent impassivity. It is as vigorous as ever it was. Nearly nineteen hundred years have run their Course since Paul dictated these words to his son, but the Word, the Gospel, has not lost one iota of its pristine virility. On the other hand, its message is valid for both old and young - those with life behind them, and those with life before them, find in it alike their way to GOD, their way with GOD, their way for GOD. No wonder that the apostle elsewhere exclaims (Romans 1:16), "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is (still, in spite of its age] the power of God unto salvation to everyone [of whatever age] that believeth," (b) Language cannot bind it. We take up our Bible, and find the Authorized Version so throbbing with life, so instinct with power. Whether the Word as a whole, or the Word of the Gospel in particular, it retains the original power of the original tongue. The Hebrew, the Aramaic, the Greek - these were the vehicles of the inspiration; but the something like a thousand languages into which it has been translated possess the same power of conviction, conversion, compulsion, and comfort. Read, for example, the Annual Report, for any year, of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and you will see how remarkably true it is that, in the myriad speech of mankind, the Word retains its freshness and freedom of mighty influence - language cannot impede that. (c) Persecution cannot bind it. The enemy has tried to stamp it out. In our own country he has caused it to become a forbidden book, and ardent souls have had to read it in secret places, in peril of their very lives: He has engineered great bonfires for its burning, when thousands of copies were consigned to the flame; but some were hidden, to break forth again in due time. It is like a little seed dropped by chance into the soft earth of some roadway. The local authority has been paving the street, and very soon a great, heavy stone has been laid and hammered down upon our little seed, to its utter destruction. But wait: is it destroyed? In course of time, the very paving­ stone is moved by the life-power that was in the seed. In modern Russia the hard, cold, dead stones of atheism were dumped down upon all religion, in the full expectation that the Word would be stifled; but we have lived to see that the plot has failed, and that the stones themselves have started to be lifted off. (d) Deficiency cannot bind it. The great power has evidenced itself even upon those who might scarcely have been expected to understand it. There is no profounder book in circulation, and there are parts of it likely to baffle the keenest minds; yet quite uneducated folks have come to a wonderful grasp of its truths and its secrets. For it is ever true that GOD’s things, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 reminds us, "are spiritually dis­cerned," and that, not by natural intellect but "by faith we understand", Hebrews 11:3. So it is blessedly apparent that the Gospel cannot be chained: the Worker may suffer even "[b]unto bonds," but the Word is "not bound"! Now for another thought­ THE GOLD IS AMAZING FORTUNE FOR SINNERS Paul speaks to Timothy about (a) "The elect’s sakes" - those who are the beneficiaries of GOD’s choice. How amazing it is that, of His sovereign will, He should elect to save sinners! He did not stay to select the best of the bad bunch, He did not wait until they had been able to improve themselves a bit, but "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly . . . while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son," Romans 5:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:10. Feeble, sinners, enemies: what a crescendo of disability yet - He brushed aside all the disqualification, and, by the exercise of His Divine Royal Pre­rogative, He elected us. Us? Yes; if we are true believers, it is a sure token that we are among His elect. Do not forget that, as Ephesians 1:4 has it, we are "chosen in Him". If we have chosen the LORD JESUS as our SAVIOUR and LORD, we may be quite sure that it happened because, first and foremost, He chose us. Listen to Him, in John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen Me [merely] but I have chosen you . . ." What absolute assurance of salvation this gives us, since it depends, not on our initial merit, nor on our subsequent doings, but on His almighty grace and sovereign will. These sinners, then, as yet not brought in, are the apostle’s deep concern, (b) "That they may . . . obtain the salvation". It is there for them; but they must come and get it. (i) We have the Fact of the Gospel - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief," 1 Timothy 1:15. By the way, do you feel that that last phrase is but an emotional exaggeration? Well, I suppose we shall always think that until we get as near to GOD as Paul did. They who are the holiest are the most conscious of their sinfulness. We who are so far off can scarcely grasp that. His coming to die, coming to save: there lies the Gospel for sinners. (ii) We get the Proclamation of the Gospel - Paul, with others beside, and Timothy among them, and you and I also, seeking to let sinners know the good fortune that awaits them, if only they will come and "obtain" it. Have you occasionally read this advertisement in the news­ paper: "Will Thomas Smith, last heard of at So-and-so, com­municate at once with Messrs. Somebody and Some Such, of Somewhere, when he will hear of something to his advantage"? I would strongly advise Tom to act without delay, for there is a fortune involved. (1) A relative left it. Tom had been the scapegrace of the family; but this particular uncle always had a sneaking affection for him, and, in spite of his unworthy be­haviour, he had decided to leave all his money to him. (2) The lawyer advertised it; or Tom might never have known about it. (3) Thomas obtained it by applying as quickly as ever he could. It is somewhat like that with this Fortune of Gold of the Gospel - ­GOD has made it, and bequeathed it to sinners; His servants are to advertise it, that sinners may learn of their good fortune; and then, sinners are to come, and by the exercise of their own personal faith in the LORD the SAVIOUR, "obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus." Do you remember Charles Kingsley’s Westward Ho!? What mighty efforts Amyas Leigh and his company made, what terrible sufferings they endured, what losses they sustained, in searching South America for the mythical Manoa and its glittering gold. Disappointed, disillusioned, you recall Parson John Brimble-Combe’s lament, "I think the gold of Manoa is like the gold which lies where the rainbow touches the ground - always a field beyond you." The gold of the Gospel is not like that. It is not mythical, but real; it is not gotten by effort, suffering, and loss, but by the simple appropriation of faith; it is not beyond us, but beside us, in the Person of our LORD Himself. What good news for the sinner; what amazing fortune. One last thing about it­ THE GOLD IS AUTHENTIC CURRENCY IN HEAVEN Our passage closes "with eternal glory." It has met the sinner very much on earth; it has altered his whole condition by enrichment with supernal gold; and now, at last, it brings him unchallenged into glory. Unchallenged, for his gold is as an "Open Sesame" at the gates of Heaven: that which is true coinage here is recognised and accepted hereafter, You can’t get through the Gates without paying; yet you have nothing to pay with - not your own merit, not your own deeds, will suffice. Be thankful that Someone Else has paid for your admission - with His precious Blood, with the Gospel Gold. I happen to be a member of the Surrey County Cricket Club. One summer morning some years ago, as I was making my way towards the Kennington Oval, to see the August Bank Holiday match between Surrey and Notts, I observed a boy looking very hungrily and longingly through the Jack Hobbs gates, as if he would give anything to go in, but hadn’t the price of admission. I paid his entrance, and took him into the Pavilion with me, where, his eyes aglow all day, he spent those hours in unalloyed "glory". Happy are they who, in the sense of Revelation 22:14, "enter in through the gates"; their entrance was procured by gospel gold, given them by GOD, so that they called it "my" (Revelation 22:8); and they were then admitted not to a day of glory, like my boy friend, but to "eternal glory". Some years ago I read, with great profit, a little book by that fine Bible teacher, the late Mr. George Goodman - one of the brethren commonly called "The Brethren", to so many of whom, as to him, I owe so much. This was an exposition of Romans 1:1-32, Romans 2:1-29, Romans 3:1-31, Romans 4:1-25, Romans 5:1-21, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 7:1-25, Romans 8:1-39 - a portion that he had made so peculiarly his own. What concerns me at the moment is the glorious Title that he gave his book: he called it From Guilt, Through Grace, To Glory. What a perfect description of those marvellous chapters. Such is the Journey, financed by Heaven’s Gold, and such the Journey’s End. Once more we read through our present appointed passage, and as we rise from its perusal, we are constrained to exclaim, "What a Gold mine!" This "word fitly spoken is like apples of gold," as Proverbs 25:11 says; in Tennyson’s lines­ "Jewels . . . That on the stretched fore-finger of all Time Sparkle for ever" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 30: 02.07. 2TI 2:11-13 - SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT ======================================================================== Chapter Seven -- Something to Sing About 2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet be abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. BIBLE religion is a singing religion: that is a theme that might profitably occupy us for a very long while. We have time only to take up two instances of the rule. (a) First, the prophet. In Isaiah 12:2 we read, "Behold, God is my salvation, my strength and my song". That is to say, in the LORD JEHOVAH he found the Essential Thing: "my salvation" - the foundation of all else for here, and for hereafter. There are very few things that are relatively essential to our well-being; there is only one thing that is ultimately essential, and that is "salvation". So the prophet repeats at the end of the verse what he said at its beginning: other things are nice, one thing is necessary. In GOD, he also found the Every-day Thing: "my strength" - "as thy days so shall thy strength be," ran the old promise of Deuteronomy 33:25; and the prophet tells us that he had discovered that it is all stored up in Him. Then came, also, the Extra Thing: "my song." No one can say that joy is essential to the Christian life; one can be a believer without it; indeed, many of GOD’s children are quite cheerless. But then, GOD is not content to do only that which is needful. He always adds some­thing extra - for example, His full purpose, and adequate pro­vision, is that we shall be, not merely conquerors, but "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37), and so on. Consequently, He here reveals Himself in the overweight of "song," in addition to the "salvation" and the "strength." (b) Then, the psalmist. In Psalms 11:1-3 we have that delightful bit of spiritual auto­biography, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay" - there, again, is the Essential Thing; "and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" - the Every-day Thing; "and He hath put a new song in my mouth" - the Extra Thing once more. There’s no need for the song; but it is a great help to have it, not only for our own delight, but also for the blessing of others. Note here that, most surprisingly, we are told "many shall see it . . .": "hear it," is presumably what he said? No, there’s no mistake: when we have the song, there is not only vocal effect, but visible result - the whole being and behaviour are happily irradiated, and many are led to "trust in the Lord". For illustration of a song’s effect read again Browning’s "Pippa Passes". When we come over into the New Testament, we find the same thing is true. (a) In Ephesians 5:19, we are exhorted to be "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord": our hearts in tune with our hymns, our songs being directed to GOD’s ears as well as to man’s. Dean Armitage Robinson points out that the early Christians would inevitably have to exclude them­selves from the public feasts of the Greek cities, because of the idolatrous rites, and ribald drunkenness, so much in evidence there. The loss of all this colour and brightness was more than compensated for in the sacred songs of the Christian’s hospitable fellowship: wherever there was a supper, or a gathering, there would be sure to be singing. (b) In Colossians 3:16, we come upon the joyous atmosphere again, "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" - the heart and the hymn reacting mutually upon each other, and both offering their praise to the LORD Who inspired it. We recall the place of song to the great Revival movements - of Wesley’s hymns; of Moody’s Sankey; of Torrey’s Alexander. Of course, some people simply can’t sing - they have no voice, no ear; pitch and tone and rhythm are mysteries quite beyond them. For their encouragement, Psalms 95:1 invites, "O come, let us sing into the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation" - even those who can’t sing, can make a joyful noise. I suspect that the psalmist didn’t mean that, but was directing his remarks first to the congregation, and then to the organist, for the psalms were usually sung to musical accompani­ment; but all the same, I think we may legitimately apply the words to the less accomplished of our songsters. After all, GOD did make the crows, as well as the nightingales, and assuredly takes pleasure in the performance of each. Bible religion is of such a fine quality that it can inspire a song even in the most unlikely and unpromising conditions. Let me justify that statement by calling your attention to two phrases in Psalms 77:1-20 : Verse Psalms 77:2 has "my song in the night" - we are little likely to find much joy in the darkness and distress of such circum­stances; but verse Psalms 77:6 has "my sore in the night". He, truly, will be one of GOD’s nightingales! Or, there is that other occasion with which we shall all be familiar, in Acts 16:25, when "at midnight Paul and Silas . . . sang praises unto God". More nightingales! Sore and stiff from their beating and from the stocks, flung into the foul and filthy dungeon of "the inner prison," they yet found something to sing about. Yes, a singing religion; but what has all this got to do with our present passage? Well-note that opening phrase, "It is a faithful saying". It comes also in 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:9, and in Titus 3:8. The scholars think they are hymns, taken from a collection which was in use among the early Christians ­sung, for example, in the little services held in private houses, e.g. "the church which is in his house", Colossians 4:15, at the Table of the Holy Supper, on their partings one from another, on the occasion of a baptism, on the last journey to martyrdom. Such is the suggestion of Dr. Moule. Professor David Smith thinks he can guess who was the composer of the hymns, and the com­piler of the manual. Comparing the language of these four with that of the Acts, and of Luke, he is persuaded in his own mind, by the peculiarities common to both, that the author (speaking humanly) is none other than the worthy Doctor himself. Of course, there was another hymn book also in use, for the synagogue worship, and for the celebrations of the great Feasts. It wasn’t a great fat volume, with a lot of hymns that were never used - it had only 150, all in constant demand. You will recall a specific reference to this hymn-book in Matthew 26:30, "when they had sung a hymn, they went out . . . ." As a matter of fact, we know what was the particular one chosen: it was Hymn No. 118 - ­you would know it as the 118th Psalm. Doubtless, in addition to these two collections, one of the brethren would occasionally compose a special hymn, as people do now - like, for instance, A Hymn for Airmen. Dr. Handley Moule, in his Colossian Studies, suggests the conjectural classification - "psalms, the songs of the Old Testament saints; and hymns, the inspired praises of the Christian Church; and spiritual odes, compositions developed by gifted individuals". The particular hymn that forms the portion for our present study may very well have been used as a baptismal hymn; for we cannot but see how closely its thought follows the lines of the baptism passage of Romans 6:3 ff. And certainly it seems to be very appropriate for such a time, and full of inspiration for a young convert making public profession of CHRIST in baptism. We shall observe this in more detail as we proceed. The hymn is constructed in four stanzas, or verses; and I think, if we want a title for it, we might do very well to borrow from Rudyard Kipling, and call it "If" - for each verse begins with "If". Let us now examine it, and see what there is in it to sing about. The opening verse brings us­ THE JOY OF AN EXPERIMENTAL FACT The fact of the believer’s union with his LORD is here illustrated. We are all familiar with the blessed doctrine of Justification by Faith; not quite so sure, perhaps, of Sanctification by Faith (Acts 26:18); here it is Identification by Faith. This last truth is unfolded in some detail in Romans 6:3 ff, and in Ephesians 2:5 ff. Just two links in the golden chain are here touched on - ­not merely as theoretical doctrine (no doctrine is simply that, in Paul’s hands) but as experimental fact. (a) "If we be dead with Him." Paul, even as he dictates, is facing certain martyrdom, and he is quite aware of it. Timothy, to whom he writes, will also, in all probability, become a victim. Scores of others will follow in that noble army. Many think that this is the death with Him to which the apostle refers. But this can scarcely be the case, since, in that event, the verb would have to be in the future tense - as are, incidentally, all the other verbs in the passage - as if to read, "If we shall become dead . . ." Whereas, it is the aorist tense which is, in this one place in the passage, employed, as indicating that the reference is to something that has already, in some specific moment, taken place: "If we died. . ." When did this happen? Potentially, when JESUS died; experimentally, when we were identified with Him by faith. Do you remember the old Sin Offering of Leviticus 4:1-35? The sinner brings his offering for sacrifice - and first, as he confesses his sin, he lays his hand on, and leans his weight on the animal, which is then slain in his stead. In the type-economy of GOD, this all pointed to the personal relationship of the believer with Him Who fulfilled the type when He came to be the Lamb of GOD. The sinner turns to Him, confessing his sin, and resting his whole weight of trust on Him - and GOD reckons the Identification of Faith to have taken place. As in the old type, the offerer’s sin was taken to have passed to the victim, and the victim’s death accounted to the offerer - so, on our act of penitence and faith, our sin is "laid on Him" (Isaiah 53:6), and His death is reckoned to us (Romans 6:11). GOD accounts it so; let us "reckon ourselves likewise." It is in this sense that Horatius Bonar sings: "I lay my sins on JESUS The spotless Lamb of GOD" and Isaac Watts: "My faith would lay her hand On that dear head of Thine, While, like a penitent, I stand, And there confess my sin" Our personal faith has identified us with Him; and because He has fully borne the penalty, so also, "in Him," have we. Is that not something to sing about? But, further - (b) "We shall also live with Him." This "death" we speak of is not the end, it is the beginning. In the language of Ephesians 4:22-24, "the old man" - that is, the man of old, the man you used to be - is done with; and "the new man" - the new-born man you are now going to be - is started upon his life. It is verily a resurrection life, linked up with His, knowing, as an experimental fact, "the power of His resurrection", Php 3:10. We have been saved from sin’s eternal penalty by His death; and now we are to be saved from its daily power by His resur­rection life-power within us - " . . . being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life," as we read in Romans 5:10. Or, as we have it in Galatians 2:20, "I am [have been] crucified with CHRIST, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me" - there is the old "I," and the New "I," and the small "I". If, now that we are Christians, we try to live the Christian life of our­selves, we find how hard it is, and we have so many falls and failures; but if, reckoning upon our Identification with Him, we realise His indwelling presence, and get self out of the way, so that He may do the living in us, and out through us, the life becomes a very different thing. Now it is life indeed; now it is fulness of life; now it is what my friend Lindsay Glegg would call, life with a capital "L"; now it is that grand quality of life which, in John 10:10, the MASTER characterises as "more abundant." Again we say, is this not something to sing about? And here is another of our happy possessions - THE JOY OF A MAGNIFICENT FUTURE Our religion deals with the past - which, for the believer, is most wonderfully accounted for. It deals also with the present­ bringing him all he needs for the problems, perplexities, perils, and possibilities of his everyday life. But let us never forget that it also guarantees to him a golden future. "The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," says Proverbs 4:18. We often speak of "the good old days", and there is no mistake about it, they were, in so many ways, so very fine; but the new days just on ahead are going to be finer yet. In the poet Browning are some things "hard to be understood," as Peter wrote of Paul (2 Peter 3:16); but he never penned a plainer, simpler, truer word than when he said "The best is yet to be" - for the believer, that is. Well now, Paul continues (a) "If we suffer" - as some Christians will be called to do. The father and son - writer and reader of this Letter - with the long line of those who have endured much for their loyalty to the LORD and His truth, right down to such as Pastor Niemoller, and his confreres, in concentration camps; those who lie, even for years, on a weary bed of pain, unyielding, and uncomplaining; those who, in Shakespeare s words, are the victims of "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". Many a believer, one way and another, is called upon to suffer. I wonder if they have been able to enter into the brave utterance of Paul, one of the greatest sufferers that the Gospel has ever known, as 2 Corinthians 11:23 ff. avouches, when he said, in Romans 8:18, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed . . ." What is this far-outweighing" glory"? In the words of our present passage, it is (b) "We shall also reign with Him." An unimaginably wonderful prospect awaits the faithful believer, and amongst the golden experiences that lie before him is this reigning. All who are truly loyal to Him here, whether that loyalty incur suffering or not, will reign with Him hereafter. Note three things about it: (i) The Nature of it - "to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne" Revelation 3:21. It is told that little Prince john, youngest child of King George V, who died at a tender age, used to love to play a game with his royal father. They would go to the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, and when the King had taken his seat on the throne, he would bend forward and lift up his little son, and sit him beside him on the throne, to the infinite delight and pride of the little prince. A very pretty little story, if it is true. But it is something so very much more than just a pretty story that is revealed to believers in this verse. It is actually the case that, in some real sense, the faithful will share His throne, and be associated with His reign. (ii) The Place of it - "we shall reign on the earth," Revelation 5:10. I know some would translate that "on" as "over"; but I would point out that we have exactly the same word and construction in Matthew 6:10, Gk., as here: "Thy will be done on the earth". This reigning idea is not to be spiritualised or relegated to the blissful experiences and occupations of Heaven. It is to take place in this very world where we now live. Some strange per­sonal revolutions will be seen in that day when, in the words of Matthew 19:30, "many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first" - when prominent people will have to take a back seat, and erstwhile humble folks will constitute, in a literal sense, the ruling class. Yes, down here. Isn’t there an earth sound about Matthew 19:28, "Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"? And this, from Luke 19:17-19, " . . . have thou authority over ten cities . . . five cities"? (iii) The Time of it - "they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years," Revelation 20:4. This is His glorious millennial reign on the earth. And to think that faithful souls shall have ruling responsibilities during that time: Does that give you something to sing about? By the way, we may be reigning Christians even now. Do you recall that word in Romans 5:17 which speaks of some who "shall reign in life"? For the vast majority of Christians (let alone the worldlings), life reigns over them - their circumstances, their fears, their nerves, their feelings, and so on, are on top of them. But just the few Christians reign over life - they are on top of all those things we mentioned. Having formed the daily habit of receiving "abundance of grace", following upon the personal appropriation of "the gift of righteousness," they have the secret of royal living - even now, while they await their magnificent future. Next in our hymn comes­ THE JOY OF A PROVED FIDELITY This verse sounds a solemn note; yet even here, if we are on the right side of the matter, the happy note persists. (a) "If we deny Him". But can we Christians do such a thing? Ah, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall", 1 Corinthians 10:12. The Christian life has not removed us from the possibility of temptation: we may grievously succumb. When 1 John 2:1 says "If any [Christian] man sin . . ." (1 John 2:1) it implies that a believer need not; but it also implies that he may. We must be carefully and prayerfully on our guard lest, through needless fear, or through false shame, or through hope of gain, we even go so far as to deny our SAVIOUR. Do you indignantly repudiate the suggestion? Well, hear another, and a familiar voice: "Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee. Likewise also said all the disciples", Matthew 26:35. In spite of earnest asseverations of loyalty, let young man Timothy beware, for he will be sorely tried; let every reader beware, for the disciples’ failure might so easily become ours. May GOD forbid; for (b) "He also will deny us". How awful if He should ever say to us, "I never knew you", as He did to some people - spurious Christians, in their case - in Matthew 7:23. Yes, but this need not be. I take refuge in that "If" of our verse. It is said of Judas, in Matthew 26:16, that "he sought opportunity to betray Him". We have not to seek such: chances for disloyalty abound on every hand - in the home, in the office, in the workshop, even in the church; but how happy if those chances are ignored, if, by His grace, we prove our fidelity! For remember that every "opportunity to betray" is also an opportunity to be true. Lack of space must send us hurrying on to consider THE JOY OF AN UNSWERVING FRIENDSHIP The opening of this last verse of our hymn retains still the solemn tone, before it passes to its glad finish. (a) "If we believe not" - it says. The Greek word is in the negative form, exactly the same as that translated later by "faithful." How many unbelieving believers there are: they have believed on Him to the saving of their soul, but there their believing has stopped. Come: do we really believe Him? Let us test our­selves by any of His words, taken just at random: Acts 20:35. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - do we really believe that? John 10:28-29, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand" - what peaceful assurance of salvation we enjoy if we really believe that. Matthew 28:20, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age" - do we, like David Livingstone, take that to be "the word of a gentleman"? Matthew 6:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" - pause a moment: do you really believe that? If we fret and worry about these necessary things of life, quite obviously we just do not believe what He says. Oh but, you say, perhaps, it is so difficult to believe? That reminds me of a man who once went to consult Dr. Torrey about a spiritual difficulty. "You know, Doctor", he said, "I can’t believe" - expecting him to reply, "And what can’t you believe?" Instead, to the accompaniment of those piercing eyes, came quick, and revealing as lightning, the answer, "Whom can’t you believe?" Really and truly, it is not the saying, but the Speaker, that we don’t believe. Tell me now: is it so very difficult to believe Him? "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." Well, sense the sheer joy of it, whatever may be our own spiritual condition, (b) "He abideth faithful" - an unswerving Friend. He will always remain (i) True to His word - "He is faithful that promised", Hebrews 10:23; "He will not call back His words," Isaiah 31:2. Even the word of warning, as in our verse 2 Timothy 2:12. (ii) True to His people, who are exhorted to commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator - one Who will not let down His creatures. (iii) True to Himself, "He cannot deny Himself", our verse 2 Timothy 2:13. Every divine and human quality in Him is held in perfect poise and balance; no part of His being contradicts, or contravenes, another part; what He ever was, He always is - "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever", as Hebrews 13:8 teaches us. Here is One on Whom we may always depend, however undependable we ourselves may be. If, from sheer physical weakness, or from the extreme pressure of untoward circumstance, or from the insidious oncoming of doubt, or from any other cause, you find faith faltering or failing, turn away from yourself and cling on to this, that He isn’t faltering, or even altering, "He abideth faithful". Even though we are so faithless as to disbelieve Him! What a Friend! What a joy! At the beginning of this Lecture I referred you to Isaiah 12:1-6; let me take you back to it, as we close. Note these three words­ "say," in verse Isaiah 12:4; "sing", in verse Isaiah 12:5; "shout", in verse Isaiah 12:6. In view of all that we have been finding in to-day’s portion, am I justified in claiming that the Christian has something to speak about, something to sing about, even something to shout about? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 31: 02.08. 2TI 2:14-19 - THREE WORDS ======================================================================== Chapter Eight -- Three Words 2 Timothy 2:14-19 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God. a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase into more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. THERE is a rare lot said in Scripture about speech, and great stress is laid upon its very great importance - for good or ill. Take this one statement of the Master’s, as found in Matthew 12:36-37, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con­demned". This does not mean that we shall be condemned for making a joke, or indulging in jolly banter, or in clean happy fun - perhaps some of us need a little more of the humorous outlet than we at present allow ourselves; but it does mean that our words are to be examined, like our "thoughts" in Psalms 139:23-24, to "see if there be any wicked way" in them, in us. The exceeding importance, then, of words. Let us, in that spirit, look at the Three Words of our present passage; and first THE PERILOUS WORD You see it there in verse 2 Timothy 2:14, "words to no profit" - they are, as we shall see, not only profitless, but perilous. (a) A certain instruction is to be given. "Of these things put them in re­membrance. charging them . . ." Who are these whom Timothy is to instruct? (i) Are they the believers, as a whole? Certainly they need instruction, upon this matter, and that matter, and all matters; and they who know most know how little they do know. A boy of fourteen, in explaining to me why he was leaving school, said, "They can’t teach me any more" with the self-satisfied air of one who knew it all! I have heard of Christians who have, in their own estimation, reached that exalted pinnacle of sublime perfection: you can’t teach them anything. Well, well. How refreshing to turn to such a passage as Isaiah 50:4, "he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." How we thank GOD for the HOLY SPIRIT, our Teacher, and for the Holy Scriptures, our Text-book: for we need constant instruction. Don’t you feel that? Or (ii) Are they the teachers, in particular, that Timothy is to instruct? These would be the local leaders who were placed under the young bishop’s jurisdiction and administration. Certainly they, too, would need it, for they who would feed others must heed themselves, as Paul says to this same Timothy in his First Epistle (1 Timothy 4:16), "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine." We note next that (b) A right atmosphere is to be created. " . . . before the LORD," that is, as in His sight, as in His presence. (i) Speaking as in His sight. What a difference that makes - there will be a loving care for our hearers, a straight faithfulness with them. Dr. Plummer says, "One is inclined to think that if ministers always remembered that they were speak­ing in the sight of GOD, they would sometimes find other things to say, and other ways of saying them." You may, on an occasion, have been speaking about some man, his words and views and actions, talking in a somewhat free and unrestrained fashion, when all of a sudden the man himself entered the room. That completely changed the whole atmosphere, he now could hear all you said - you were more careful to measure and moderate your words. Oh, that we preachers, when speaking of Him, and of His things, would recollect that He has come into the room, the church, indeed that He was there first (cf. "There am I . . .", Matthew 18:20), and that we were speaking "before the LORD". (ii) Listening as in His sight. What a difference this makes in the manner of our reception of the message. Personal preferences will not operate so forcefully, and we shall find His word coming from even the preacher whom we dislike or despise. We shall listen the more attentively, with something of the purpose of the old prophet, "I will . . . see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer," Habakkuk 2:1. We shall be alert to catch, through the human voice, the tones of the Divine voice. Yes, if instruction is to be given, it is well, to begin with, to get the atmosphere right - that GOD may grant Utterance to the speaker, and Understanding to the hearer. Now we are ready to see that (c) An important matter is to be dealt with. "Words". (i) They can be of enormous importance, as we have already indicated. Often they are of nothing less than eternal significance. Take Luke 1:47, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" - who can estimate the importance of that little word "my"? Take Galatians 3:16, "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but, as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" - everything hangs upon the one word; indeed, the one letter. Take Matthew 22:43-44, "How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord saith unto my Lord"? - the whole argument turns on, the validity of the argument depends on, that one word. Or let me take you to your Early Church History. Some of you will remember the Battle of the Word at Nicea, in A.D. 325: how that, as against the word of Arius for the nature of the Second Person of the Godhead, the word which means "of like substance," Athan­asius brilliantly argued for the word that indicates, "of one substance". Fortunately, that great young scholar saw the vital issue that was at stake; the heretical Arius was defeated, and the word is in our Nicene Creed to this day - to being of One Substance with the Father." All that fuss over a word - in fact, one tiny letter, the Greek "iota" our "i," which is the only difference between the two words. Yet how much was involved. However, the contrary may also be said of words, (ii) They can be of trifling worth - "to no profit". Alas, so much time, and heat, and energy, and temper have been wasted on "word-fighting", when the controversy has been unneedful and not called for. People have fought, and fought, over a word expres­sive of little else than their own personal opinion or preference. It is a little difficult to decide whether the apostle is thinking here merely of a word, or of an argument. Dr. Moffatt is not the kind of man to disparage, or to discourage, the exercise of mental gymnastics, the battle of wits; but he sees in this passage the thought of the futility of most of that habit. Some of us lesser mortals are inclined to wonder whether, in spiritual things, argument ever does any good at all. One further thing about such words, (iii) They can be tragically perilous - "to the subverting of the hearers". All this heat about matters of doubtful importance can have a very serious effect on those" outside the fight, those who are looking on, bewildered, disillusioned; so often they have been undermined, overthrown, and have let go their faith. The word translated "subverting" is the one from which our word "catastrophe" comes; and, in the light of this verse, one is constrained to acknowledge that while, in some circumstances, controversy is necessary, and even a plain duty, yet in many cases, and for many people, uncalled - for controversy is very near to catas­trophe. If we find ourselves involved in controversy, let us make quite sure that it really is a necessity for Truth’s sake, and not for personal reasons, and, having decided that, then let our words be as "before the LORD". Let me repeat that controversy may become incumbent upon us; but unless it be that, let us eschew it, lest it prove the perilous word, that leads to a soul’s undoing. Above all, let us beware of the company of the man who really cares little about the right or the wrong of his word, so long as he wins his argument. And now for­ THE PERNICIOUS WORD There it is, in verse 2 Timothy 2:17, "their word will eat as doth a canker". That raises at once (a) The danger of false teaching. We shall note (i) What was the form of these "profane and vain babblings"? It was a teaching that "the resurrection is past already". This cult of Gnosticism, whose aberrations from the truth Paul had so constantly encountered in the course of his journeys - most notably, perhaps, at Ephesus, the very place in whose city and neighbourhood Timothy was working - admitted the future life of the soul, but denied the resurrection of the body. They insisted that the moral renovation, the spiritual resurrection, of believers in CHRIST, along the lines of Romans 6:3-5, was the only resurrection to be expected. It was past already, as soon as a man became a believer. And (ii) Who were the leaders of this heterodox movement? "Hymenaeus and Philetus" are singled out for mention. We know nothing else of the latter; but there is an earlier instance of the first name, in 1 Timothy 1:20, and the likeness of the spiritual atmosphere of the context there to that which we have in our passage almost certainly establishes the identity of the personality. In those First Epistle verses a strange and solemn statement is found - "whom I have de­livered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme" - that Satan might have power to afflict their bodies, as, for a quite different reason, he had in the case of Job 2:4 - For the same cause as we must assume in the instance of Hymenaeus, we find a like punishment is laid upon the sin of physical lapse, when the leaders are instructed, in 1 Corinthians 5:5, "to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." You see, these Gnostics held that the body is essentially and absolutely evil: that is why, in their view, there can be no resurrection for it. Holding this belief, some treated their body with harshness, by pains, and fastings, and neglects; others treated it with looseness, saying that you could do what you liked with the evil thing, and so they descended to all kinds of physical sin. The most severe measures were adopted, in those First Days, to maintain purity of doctrine and purity of life; and this extraordinary power was vested in those church leaders to consign to Satan’s machinations, that, after moral lapse, the culprits might through physical suffering, come back to spiritual health again. Do we not see, then, how appropriate it is to find here a sug­gestion of (b) The disease of false teaching? "As . . . a canker", a gangrene, as the word is. False teaching is not an isolated blow; it is an accumulating, growing thing. "They will increase unto more ungodliness," more impiety, as our passage says - deeper into error, further into sin. Let us not forget that there is a close connection between what we believe and how we behave. Sometimes the question is asked, Does it matter what we believe? There are several answers to that silly question; one of them is this very fact, that, sooner or later, belief is bound to affect behaviour. "Shun" it, says Paul, give it a wide berth, as you would a poison or a plague. A word is added concerning (c) The damage of false teaching. It will "overthrow the faith of some", in addition to all the other results that have been suggested. There was a time when, in the simplicity and reality of their trust in their SAVIOUR, they walked so closely, and so happily, in the ways of GOD; but then came those who "wrest the Scriptures," not only, as 2 Peter 3:16 says, "unto their own destruction," but to the destruction of many another. It isn’t merely that their faith in the old doctrine is undermined, but that their faith in the LORD Himself is overthrown. But let us turn from all this consideration of the pernicious word of false teaching, and dwell for a bit, ere we pass to the last of our Three Words, on (d) The domicile of true teaching. We have here (i) The house itself - "the foundation of God standeth sure." That word "foundation" is used with various implications in the New Testament - sometimes it is the Scriptures on which we build, sometimes it is the MASTER Himself; but I think we may say that in our present passage it is not the foundation of the house, but the whole house itself which is intended - the house that He founded. Just as you may speak of, shall we say, a college as Somebody’s foundation - for example, of Eton as Henry VI’s foundation, or of Christ Church, Oxford, as Cardinal Wolsey’s foundation - so you have here "the foundation of God," His house and household, the Church, the "great house" of verse 2 Timothy 2:20. Then we have (ii) The inhabitants thereof, as repre­sented in the two-sided "seal" of the building. There was, in those days, a widespread practice of engraving inscriptions over doors - "thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates," Deuteronomy 11:20; and on the pillars and foundations - "Him . . . will I make a pillar in the temple of My God . . . and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God" Revelation 3:12; "the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles," Revelation 21:14. Well, these two inscriptions "seal" the house which is His Household: First, on the obverse side, God-ward - "The Lord knoweth them that are His." And that "knoweth" implies that He loves them, cares for them, surrounds them, supplies them, saves them. All this, and all else, is in the thought as in the similar words of the SAVIOUR Himself, in John 10:14, "I . . . know My sheep". He knows; He cares - what comfort is this! It may, alas, be the case that those who know us best do not know us as His - perhaps through the cowardice of our silence, perhaps through the incon­sistency of our conduct, they have no idea that we are Christians. Yet, in spite of our failings and failures, He knows we are His. What an incentive to be, and to do, better. Then, on the reverse side, manward - "Let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity". We said some might not recognise as Christians because of our unchristian behaviour, but that is, of course, all wrong. Those who name His Name - that is, who are His - should be easily recognised by the holiness of their walk, they should "depart from iniquity." Attached to the house, as descriptive of its inhabitants, is the two-faced seal - one side says of them, "His"; the other, "Holy". It is for every member of the household to level up consistently to those two qualities. We have spoken earlier of those who have had the foundations knocked away from under their feet - controversy has subverted some (verse 2 Timothy 2:14), heresy has overthrown others (verse 2 Timothy 2:18); but here is a Foundation that abides, that remains unshaken, that "standeth sure". We look upon the difficulties of the world around us; we note with attention the delusions of Satan, for "we are not ignorant of his devices", as 2 Corinthians 2:11 says; we observe with sadness the defections of some - but we rejoice in those who abide undismayed, and unmoved, in the unchanging "foundation of God". David once asked, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalms 11:3). Ah, but this foundation won’t be - it "standeth sure". And now it’s time we turned to look at that other foundation, that Mr. W. E. Gladstone called "The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture!" THE PRECIOUS WORD It is seen in verse 2 Timothy 2:15, "the word of truth." Those who re­member the great Torrey and Alexander missions in this country, will recall how that this verse was a kind of watchword, what we should now call a "slogan" of their campaigns. In sending letters people would put on the envelopes "2 Timothy 2:15"; they would dispatch telegraphs bearing the message "Two Timothy Two Fifteen"; they would greet one another in the street with the same words; there were placards on the boardings, posters at the houses - everywhere was "2 Timothy 2:15." Well, here it is again: we might very profitably adopt it as the slogan, the motto, of our own life. It seems to me to be a most delightful summing-up of a satisfactory Christian life, with a revelation of its secret, "the word of truth." See here, then (a) The work well done - "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." This is just another illustration of the strenuousness of the Christian life, which this Second Chapter has so urgently underlined. We have already learnt that the believer is intended to be a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer - ­now he is an artisan: he is expected to be a worker. Evidently, the Christian life is no picnic; How will this workman become ashamed? (i) If he do his work badly - we ought all, and always, to put our very best into it; but do we? How often we go to it very ill prepared. A Sunday-school teacher, for instance, puts hardly anything into the task of getting his Lesson ready, scarcely looks at it until Saturday evening, has got so into the habit of slackness that he has come to feel almost that anything will do for the children. In the day when our Christian work is judged (1 Corinthians 3:11-15), such a man would stand dreadfully ashamed. He had better be thoroughly ashamed of himself now. Look at Jeremiah 48:10, "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully [negligently]." (ii) If he do it easily - with little cost to himself, and with no sort of sacrifice. I have heard of Christian people refusing to take up spiritual work offered to them because it would mean giving up some bit of selfish enjoy­ment, or because they are so shy and would feel so dreadfully nervous, or because they fear they would get very tired. Make no mistake about it that a service without sacrifice is a shame worthy thing. The service that counts is the service that costs. So then, how much does your Christian work cost you? (iii) If he do it fitfully - doing something if he feels like it, dropping it (and leaving the church!) if anyone dares to criticise at all, taking it up again if the inducement is powerful enough, or if the flattery is sufficiently agreeable. What a terrible way to treat what is one of the highest privileges of mankind. (iv) If he do nothing at all - a drone in the hive. A stranger was talking with one of the monks at the St. Bernard Hospice when one of the grand, magnificent dogs came home. It just slinked by, its tail down, its head dejected, its whole bearing the picture of misery. "What’s the matter with that dog?" asked the visitor. "Oh, it has found nobody to help, and it is feeling so ashamed." My friends, we could never have that brave animal’s excuse - lost on the bleak mountains is a multitude of souls, needing desper­ately the help that we Christians alone can give: when we come Home at the End of the Day, how terribly ashamed we shall be, if we have never attempted to do a thing to help them. Some of us Christians are content to remain in our arm chairs, never moving a foot, never stirring a finger, to serve. Any such will have painful cause to hang their heads with shame when we meet the LORD. How grand, though, to be one of those faithful servants of His who have no need to be ashamed. That leads us to the thought of (b) The Master well pleased - "study to shew thyself approved unto God." "Present thy­self," it means. (i) As one He can use. Like a workman who comes each morning to his governor’s office, to present himself for duty, ready for orders - GOD approves of that attitude. May we thus present ourselves every day - "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reason­able (logical) service," Romans 12:1. (ii) As one He can trust. Alas. He cannot always trust all His servants. In all the exquisite reality of His Humanity, we hear of His leaning upon the sympathy and fellowship of His friends, in a time of direst need - "tarry ye here, and watch with Me" (Matthew 26:38); but He found He could not rely on them, they went to sleep and let Him down. On the other side of the matter, we shall recall that word He spoke to Elijah, in 1 Kings 17:9. "Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee" Having commanded, He knew He could rely on her to do it. Mind you, if ever a person would have been justified in saying that she couldn’t do it, it was she. There was nothing left in the larder, the last little scraps were about to be used in the last bit of food, before she and her boy must give themselves over, in that time of drought and famine, to death from starvation. How could she possibly feed the prophet besides? Was she willing? That was the crux of the matter; for, if she were willing, GOD would arrange for the doing of it - however impossible it appeared. In all questions of GOD’s service, He asks only for willing obedience - he will see to the means for doing it. How He "approved" of that woman of Zarephath that day, seeing she proved He could absolutely rely on her. And, on us? A poor, ragged little fellow, who had no one to care for him, and who had recently been converted, was asked, "If GOD loves you, why doesn’t He tell somebody to look after you?" To which he rather sadly replied, "I expect He does tell somebody, but somebody forgets", Is that somebody you? Has some poor, sin-stained, needy soul crossed your path, whom GOD expected you to help, and did you forget - or fail? Oh, to be so in touch with GOD, day by day, that we may almost instinctively know His mind, and do His will, and so be "approved unto GOD." (iii) As one He can reward. When Life’s Day is ended, and we go into His presence on finishing our Job, may we be able to present ourselves "approved - not ashamed," and to receive the supernal recompense of His "Well done, good and faithful servant, . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," Matthew 25:21. To enjoy His approval, and to share His joy: what a rich reward for any pains and sacrifices that our work may have involved. But such an approval will probably mean a considerable curtailment of others-pleasing, and certainly a complete end of self-pleasing. So we come to a last thought, which will supply the secret of this satisfactory Christian life, which has, all this while, been on our minds - the precious word: (c) The Book well used - "rightly dividing the word of truth." This word is placed in every "workman’s" hand: it is his Tool, which he must, by much study and practice, learn how to use skilfully, and which he must, on no account, allow to become blunted by misuse, or rusty from disuse. He must be, in every sense, a Man of the Book. What is this "rightly dividing"? It is one word in the Greek, and means "cutting straight." All sorts of suggestions have been made by the commentators. Some refer it to Straight Furrows: the Book is a very fruitful field, to receive whose full harvest the ploughman cuts his straight furrows. Or, may be, it is Straight Roads: the Book is a great domain, to gain access to whose many benefits the engineer cuts his straight roads through. John Calvin has a delightful sug­gestion. He thinks of Straight Slices: the Book is a wondrous loaf, a Bread of Life, to enjoy whose, nourishing strength the steward cuts his straight slices, for his own use, and for that of the whole household. Straight furrows, shall we say, of pains­taking Study; straight roads, perhaps, of Dispensational Study; straight slices, of Regular Study - not just lumps pulled off the loaf from any part, not isolated texts and bits, torn from their context, to feed some favoured theory, but the straight slices of orderly system, the Scripture Union, perhaps, or the Inter­national Bible Reading Association, or the Bible Reading Fellow­ship, or the Chapter a Day method, or the regular Church Calendar; something like Jehoiachin’s "allowance" from Evil-merodach, in 2 Kings 25:30, "a daily rate for every day, all the days . . ." But, perhaps, what we are especially taught here is, not so much the importance of the "cutting", as the value of the "straight" - to deal in a straightforward way with the Bible, to the exclusion of all fanciful deviations and all "private interpretation," 2 Peter 1:20. To be "approved unto GOD" we must "study" - or, be diligent; above all we must "study . . . the word of truth" - "the scripture of truth," to borrow the phrase of Daniel 10:21. Both in our personal life, and in our spiritual work, the Bible must have prime place; and we shall soon discover that it is not enough merely to read our daily portion, admirable though that laudable custom is, but we must give ourselves to diligent study­ making time, and taking pains. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 32: 02.09. 2TI 2:20-21 - THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE ======================================================================== Chapter Nine -- The Vessels of The House 2 Timothy 2:20-21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. OUR apostle sometimes speaks of Christians as members of the Household, as in Ephesians 2:19, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of GOD." In our present passage, however, he thinks of us as vessels of the Household. He was, we remember, a vessel himself; for, in sending Ananias to him, in Acts 9:15, the living LORD had said, "He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name, . . ." As you might take down a jug from the dresser, and fill it with water to bear to some thirsty person, so the LORD had taken up Paul, and filled him, that he might bear His Name, which is Water of Life, to parched and weary souls. We, too, are such vessels - each in our way, and our sphere, and our degree; and it is about these vessels of the House that this writer speaks to Timothy. To begin with. let us see here­ THEIR SITUATION - AND ITS PRIVILEGE Have you noticed how often the Bible is at pains to emphasise what is the attractive environment of them that believe? For example, in Isaiah 5:1, "A vineyard in a very fruitful hill": GOD’s people set amidst spiritual surroundings conducive to the production of a wondrous harvest. They failed, and only "brought forth wild grapes"; but that was not the fault of their situation. Or again, in Psalms 1:3. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water." A tree must have water, and it is fascinating to see how some kinds - the alder, for instance - If planted away from it, will instinctively push out their roots in the direction of the water, however far off, seeming, with their tendrils, to be feeling for it, till they find it. And truly by this waterside, near which "the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord", as Isaiah 61:3 calls us, are set, there is found all the moisture that will ensure that they shall be fruitful, and that their leaf shall not wither. Then, in Psalms 16:6, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." How many have reason to be eternally, and daily, grateful for such - a godly home, a live church, a keen circle, an inspiring friend. Look at it another way. In Colossians 1:2, we read that Paul writes "to the saints and faithful brethren . . . which are at Colosse"; and, knowing something of the wickedness of the place, we realise how all but impossible it would be to be a "saint" for long in such a place, and how surprising it would be if "brethren" should remain "faithful" for any length of time. Ah, but we have left out what is, indeed, the very secret of blessed continuance in any environment - the words "in CHRIST." It is because of their inner environment " . . . in CHRIST," that they are able to stand up to their outer environment "at Colosse." Take an illustration. Suppose yourself to be shipwrecked, alone and doomed, and desirous of sending a message home. You have paper and pencil, and you manage to write a few words; and then you throw it into the sea, hoping (but how stupidly!) that it can live in the water, and become washed up on to some beach, whence it shall eventually reach your friends. Why, the writing will quickly be undecipherable, and the paper become pulp! Oh, but I forgot to mention that, before throwing the message into the sea, you put it into a bottle and sealed it up. So now, whatever its outer circumstances may be, the bottle will preserve it. Thus it is that "in CHRIST" they are safe, even "at Colosse." From every point of view, what a satisfactory situation the believer finds himself in. One more illustration is here in our passage: He is "in a great house" - the Church, "the foundation" which verse 2 Timothy 2:19 spoke of. "Great" - in its spaciousness, embracing believers of all climes and countries, "a great multi­tude which no man could number" (Revelation 7:9), you and I amongst them. "Great" - in its wealth, being capable of satisfying the needs of every resident within it, even as it is the beneficiary of "the God of [every kind of] grace", 1 Peter 5:10. "Great" - in its history, having a glorious past, and destined for a glorious future. "Great" - in its fellowship, enjoying within its embrace so many who have had such rich experience of GOD, which they are so ready, and so happy, to pass on to their. fellow inhabitants. "Great" - in its LORD, above all: the MASTER of the House being our "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," Whom Isaiah 9:6 speaks of. Well is it for the House that "the government shall be upon His shoulder." To be the humblest Vessel in such a House is the highest privilege. that life affords. But we do not forget that all privilege carries responsibility with it. Therefore we stress now that in that "great House" we are expected to be of use. To each of us is allotted a task - not the same task for all, but some task for each. The vessels were not intended to be just beautiful, but useful. Perhaps you have at some time attended a great banquet at the City of London’s old Guildhall. In which case you may have got a view of the City’s "plate" - exquisitely beautiful, immensely valuable, but serving no useful purpose at the feast, bringing no nourishment or refreshment to any; there to be looked at and admired, not to be, in any practical way, employed. That is not the kind of vessel that we are meant to be; rather are we to be the earnest offerers of Frances Ridley Havergal’s familiar prayer­ - "Oh, use me, LORD, use even me. Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where." Such, then, is the fine situation of these Vessels, with the privilege they enjoy, and the responsibility they incur. Now look at­ THEIR CLASSIFICATION - and ITS CHALLENGE A twofold classification is here brought to our notice; and, first, what I shall call (a) A division of personal worth - "gold and silver; wood and earth." (i) We are reminded of the words in 1 Corinthians 3:12 about building upon the One Foundation "gold, silver, precious stones; wood, hay, stubble." There it is speaking of different kinds of work; here, in our passage, it is different kinds of worker. (ii) "Gold and silver" - that will be the rich ware of platter and goblet for the dining table; "wood and earth" - that will be the earthenware dish, and the wooden pail, for the kitchen and scullery. These latter must be con­tented with their menial tasks; you can’t bring them into dining room use. There are some of us Christians whom GOD cannot employ in higher service - our poor character, our hum­drum quality, preclude us from better engagement, unless some means be found of changing us completely. (iii) What a step-up it would be if we became as silver vessels: yet even this is only second-best. In 1 Kings 10:21 we are told that "all King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house . . . were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon" - good in its way. good up to a point, but second-best. Let me not, then, urge myself, or you, to strive after that; but, instead, as 1 Corinthians 12:31 says, "Covet earnestly the best. . ." - that is not silver, but gold. I am sure we may say that GOD would have us all to be gold. Yes, but (iv) Can this delightful improve­ment be effected: can "wood" ever hope to be other, or better? Well, look at some interesting and impressive words in Isaiah 9:17, "For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass . . ." Oh, blessed transmutation: that poor wood may move, through brass, and through iron, to silver, and even to gold itself. Notice it says "I will" do this: it is beyond our doing. We have just to bring our wooden old selves to His hands, and ask Him to make us golden, and He will assuredly find a way of doing it. Let us, then, face up to the challenge which all this brings: which of these is my true character? Am I satisfied to remain on that lower level? Shall I be prepared, at any cost, to hand myself over to Him, for His transforming touch and process? To His very earliest disciples He said (Matthew 4:19), "Follow Me, and I will make you . . ." - they could not do it themselves. What was the secret of Moses’ magnificent life? You will find it in 1 Samuel 12:6, "The LORD . . . made Moses." First He made him safe; then He made him humble; next He made him willing; and so He made him successful. Well might we make the prodigal’s prayer our own, "Make me . . ." (Luke 15:19) - Yes, one of His hired servants, a fisher of men, a veritable Moses, a vessel of gold. We have here, also, (b) A division of spiritual contrast - "some to honour, and some to dishonour." I am going here to break away from the customary exposition of these words - with every deference and without being in the least dogmatic. It is generally supposed that the honour mentioned is that of the vessel; but I am proposing to you that it is, more truly, the honour of the MASTER. Certainly, the former is not altogether absent, for "them that honour Me, I will honour", as 1 Samuel 2:30 tells us; but the main thing is, not ours, but His glory. (i) Some of the vessels are thus "to honour" - they are so clean, so bright, so beautiful, so useful, so valuable that they reflect glory upon Him to Whom they are so proud to belong. It was so with this very man who writes the words, for, after describing the revolu­tionary change that had been wrought by the Living CHRIST in his whole character and conduct, he adds, "And they glorified GOD in me," Galatians 1:24. It was the MASTER, not the vessel, that had the honour. I have often thought what a soul-satisfying epitaph Paul’s words would make; if only one could deserve them, what a glorious summing-up of one’s life there would be. (ii) Some of the vessels, however, are "to dishonour" - a cracked plate, a dirty cup: yes, a certain shame to themselves; who would want to use any such? But, what a dishonour to their owner If, perchance, they find their way to his table. And talking about that dirty vessel, don’t forget that it is not only the outward uncleanness that is so reprehensible. Remember the LORD’S own words to the woeful scribes and Pharisees, in Matthew 23:25, "Ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within . . .!" May we all be "clean every whit," John 13:10. I suppose "every whit" means every bit. Anything less than this is bound, in some measure, to bring discredit upon Him. Instead of being cracked or unclean vessels, let us seek to be both whole and wholesome, that we may take our places on the good side of this division. Do you recall the story of the old vessels of the Temple: a most fascinating and most instructive story, in its spiritual applications. We might call it A Tale in Three Chapters (i) Chapter I - I shall call, Dedicated. "Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and the vessels," 1 Kings 7:51 :1t was a great moment; as was that when you, too, were dedicated to the LORD, when you brought yourself - all you are, all you have - and gave your­self over into His hand, and prayed Him to take you and make you all that He would have you to be. That day of dedication will always be one of the red-letter days in your life, a day which - If you have loyally stood to it - has always stood out in your memory as one of your chief joys, for "when the burnt-offering began, the song of the LORD began also," 2 Chronicles 29:27. But, alas, a sad change comes over the story. (ii) Chapter II - I shall call, Desecrated. First, in captivity, "all the vessels of the house of God [Nebuchadnezzar] brought to Babylon" 2 Chronicles 36:18. when, in shame, "they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God, and the king, and the princes, and his wives, and his concubines drank wine in them", Daniel 5:3. These vessels so happily dedicated to His service are now so terribly desecrated by His enemies. All too often has that happened in the spiritual history of believers - once so blessed, now so wretched; once so used of GOD, now so brought into the bondage of sin, and brought down into utter shame. I think of one, as I write - oh, and another­ and: no, I mustn’t go on thinking; it is all too sad. Rather would one turn humbly and prayerfully to the inspired injunction, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall", 1 Corinthians 10:12. Well, thank GOD this isn’t the end of the story. The prodigal son, because he is a son, will one day find his way home again. The promise stands, "I will heal their backsliding", Hosea 14:4. (iii) Chapter III - I shall call Delivered. "All the vessels of gold and silver did Sheshbazzar bring up . . . from Babylon to Jerusalem," Ezra 1:11. There they are, back in the old place, ready at hand for all the old service - their sad wanderings over, their glad homecoming com­plete. If any of us is conscious of having strayed from all the keenness of that glorious dedication, and all the happiness of those early days of service, may we turn back to Him, that we may hereafter be as vessels of gold, bringing honour to His Name. As we go back now to our passage, we feel how natural it is that this Father should write thus to his son. Like every father worth the name, he desires the very best for his boy. He would have him the very best kind of Vessel; he would have him become the very utmost use to others; and he would have him bring highest Honour to the MASTER. Timothy is a bishop, a leader of others, a man of high position and responsibility in the church - but even he needs the word of warning and exhortation. There is an old saying that "The corruption of the best is the worst", so Satan is ever cunningly plotting to get the best, and unfortunately he sometimes succeeds. But whether among the bigger fish, or among the lesser fry, we all need give heed. Yet you will observe that, in our portion, the apostle is concerned to stress the possibility of improvement in our level of Christian experience and Christian service. We may be but wood or earth, we may be dishonouring to the MASTER, but these things need not be, this need not be the last word. There is always the tendency downwards; but whenever we find ourselves "beginning to sink" (Matthew 14:30), there is always the everready Hand stretched forth to answer our prayer, and meet our need. So Paul lays his emphasis not on the Vessel’s descent to the lower levels, but on their ascent to the higher, and so in his verse 2 Timothy 2:21 he deals with­ THEIR ELEVATION - AND ITS SECRET Look first at (a) The exaltation itself- "he shall be a vessel unto honour"; he had been very different, but that shall all be changed. Note the implications of this sublime alteration. (i) "Sanctified" - that is to say, yielded. For the root idea of the word is not holiness, but set apart, or even dedicated; and, only in a secondary sense, holiness - holy, because that is the natural outcome of being set apart. Put aside, then, for Him, is the thought; but can He do anything with the said vessel? That brings us to (ii) "Meet for the Master’s use" - for the word translated "meet" means "usable." That cracked plate we talked about, or that dirty cup, would not be meet for His use; it would be quite unusable for such a MASTER. There is a whole lot that He will have to do to us before He can make us really usable to Himself. Up to a point He can use anybody, in any condition: GOD has often used utterly godless men to work out His purposes in the world. We see that in the Bible, as well as in the history of the Christian Church; but He can never use us to the full, never use us as He wills, until, and unless, we are made usable. Then (iii) "Prepared unto every good work." ­A preacher accustomed to address large congregations may refuse an invitation to speak to a handful; yet this latter may be a most excellent piece of work. You see, he would be prepared unto every great work, but not unto every good work - for good work is sometimes only small work. Philip, the evangelist, has been a vessel of life to multitudes of thirsty souls in the course of the great revival at Samaria, in Acts Chapter 8; but when he is required to leave all that, and to bear the Water to one needy soul, an "eunuch," passing through the desert, he is just as ready and eager. For him, big work, or small work, may be alike good work; and he is "prepared" for it either way. Our MASTER Himself is so ready to spend, and be spent, for the crowds of inquiring folk at Sychar, in John 4:1-54; but He has already given Himself unsparingly to bring "living Water" to one poor, sinful, famishing woman. Both the LORD and His disciple were "prepared unto every good work" - whether it be big, or little; whether it be alone, or in the limelight. Yes, the vessel that is to be "unto honour" must be prepared to be the pitcher for quenching a multitude, or just the "cup of cold water" for one little one, that Matthew 10:42 speaks about. In the spiritual significance and application of all this, it is true to say that the vessel which is to be "unto honour" must learn to surrender completely its own volition - set apart, usable, ready for any­thing that comes within the Master’s will; anything, anywhere, any time, any cost! "I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it," Matthew 8:9. Such is the ideal relationship between MASTER and vessel; such is the actual relationship to Him of those who have been transmuted into "gold," those who have been exalted to the "honour" class. So much, then, for the exaltation itself; and now for (b) The explanation thereof - "if a man therefore purge himself from these." Here is the principle of separation: a not very popular subject, but one that is fundamental to all deeper usefulness. The "sanctified" that we spoke of just now was a separation to - GOD; but part and parcel of that is this "purge", which is a separation from - all that is not of GOD. Whatever you or I may think of the matter, I suggest there can be no question that those whom GOD has most used in blessing other people are those in whom this "separation from" is an active principle. There are those who do not, in this sense of the word, - purge themselves from anything - they do everything, go everywhere, exactly as people of the world do. It would not be right to say that GOD doesn’t use such Christians; but it is indubitably true that He doesn’t use them to the full, and as He uses those who are com­pletely separated "all-out" for Him. Such a separation does not mean that a Christian has got to be stand-offish, and aloof, and a bad "mixer." Was ever a man more friendly to all and sundry than "the Man Christ Jesus"? Yet Hebrews 7:26 describes Him as "separate from sinners," He Himself, in the course of His prayer for us, said, "These are in the world . . . they are not of the world" (John 17:11; John 17:16) - in it, but not of it. Friendly, but free - seems the right attitude; and when we say "friendly" we mean no more than that, for we are not to make a friend of the world: that would, according to James 4:4, be clear enmity against GOD. Not friends, but friendly; and, with all our friendliness, free of all in them, and in their life and behaviour which is not of GOD. It isn’t only Sin that we are to purge ourselves from. That is, of course, a quite obvious duty - "wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing", says 2 Corinthians 6:17, adding the positive blessed consequence of such a clean-cut severance: "and I will receive you." There is also to be a separation from, a purging from, everything that ministers to self. Recall that advice to runners in the Christian race, in Hebrews 12:1, "Let us lay aside every weight . . ." We have usually "looked upon those" weights" as the things in life which, while not in themselves actually wrong, are yet hindrances in running the race; but I am not too sure of this interpretation. The word for "weight" is a medical word, and refers to superfluous flesh; and I am inclined to think that this is a Training Rule, as if to say "Let us lay aside every ounce of superfluous flesh." That would be most germane to the context, for it is just what an athlete would attempt in his training to do. If I am right in my exegesis here, when we are exhorted to see that Self be reduced to its minimum - Self being, perhaps, the Christian’s biggest problem, and greatest hindrance. One final thought we glean from our passage: It is from "these" that we are expected to purge ourselves. What does that little pronoun refer to? It seems evident that it is the "wood and earth", and the "dishonour," to which the word point. That is, the second-rate things and people. Let a man decide not to have his company amongst "the lower classes" of Christians; let him beware of those who are content with any­thing less than the best, or they will sooner or later drag him down to their poor level. If a man, therefore, by a deliberate, specific, and complete act (such is the force of the Greek verb) cut himself clean from the life, the company, the habits, the outlook, the behaviour, of the second-rate, he is well on the way to becoming himself in the first-class, as represented by our word "honour." Be this our aim, and, by the SPIRIT, our attainment. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 33: 02.10. 2TI 2:22-26 - MEET THREE GROUPS ======================================================================== Chapter Ten -- Meet Three Groups 2 Timothy 2:22-26 Flee also youthful lusts : but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God per­adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. FIRST, the "them" of verse 2 Timothy 2:22; then, the "those" of verse 2 Timothy 2:25 : and the "they" of verse 2 Timothy 2:26. All Christian workers are likely to meet them. Timothy certainly will, in his special position of authority and leadership. What shall be his, and our, attitude and behaviour toward them? We begin with­ THE DELIGHTFUL COMPANY OF THE REAL "Them that call on the LORD out of a pure heart" (verse 2 Timothy 2:22). False teachers, such as those he referred to earlier in the chapter, and those who followed them, would "call" on Him, but not "out of a pure heart." These here, on the other hand, are sincere believers. I expect they were not perfect: they probably had their failings, as they would, in all likelihood, be ready painfully to acknowledge; but GOD, Who reads hearts, knew that, in spite of failures, they were truly sincere. Do you recall that poignant Resurrection scene by the lakeside, when, to match his threefold sleep and his threefold denial, Peter is given the threefold challenge, and how, in answer to the searching examination, the disciple answers, "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee"? John 21:17. In spite of my dreadful fall, Thou knowest that I do love Thee! Nobody else would know it, seeing I have treated Thee so shamefully, but Thou knowest! Yes, he was real; and so are these of whom the apostle here speaks. We might pause a moment and search our hearts, to see if we have any place in this delightful company. Now, how is Timothy to conduct himself in relation to them? Two things, it appears, are to characterise his behaviour: the One, negative, "Flee"; and the other, positive, "Follow." He is to (a)" Flee youthful lusts." Mark that word (i) "youth­ful." Timothy is very young for his post, he is only about thirty-six years old: full young for the responsibilities resting upon his shoulders, and for the leadership that will be expected of him. He will be very much the junior of those "elders" of Ephesus over whom he is to preside. He will have to be very tactful in his approach and in his attitude, if he is to be the success, and the blessing, that he will long to be. Those older Christians may, at times, be not too easy, for Paul, even a year ago, in 1 Timothy 4:12, had thought it necessary to warn the young bishop, "Let no man despise thy youth." (ii) "Lusts" - is not to be restricted to the special meaning that the word bears for us. Sometimes, as in 1 Peter 2:11, it is "fleshly lusts" that are in mind; but the New Testament uses the word in a wider sense, for any strong desire, or longing, or tendency. The natural proclivities of youth are likely to be of especial danger, even in Christian work, when a young man is set in authority over his elders. The youthful tendency of always wanting one’s own way - when the situation may sometimes be best dealt with by giving way. The youthful tendency to desire to be always in evidence - when often the best work is done, even in a leader, in the background, and when it is the worst policy (to put it no higher) to push oneself forward. The youthful tendency to be overfond of novelty in teaching - taking up the latest movement of thought, without weighing it overmuch. The youthful tendency to be blind to the other man’s point of view - as if there never could be any other reasonable, or respectable, side than that which one has oneself espoused. The youthful tendency to be in too much of a hurry - having no patience to work quietly for the desired end, an end that must be, and that must be now, or sooner! Let me hasten to add that these things are not, by any means, the exclusive propensities of youth. Older folk are, in some cases, just as liable to exhibit such weaknesses; but I think it will be admitted that they are the peculiar property of youth at large - with delightful exceptions. Well, what havoc they might cause in Christian service. So young Timothy is bidden to (iii) "Flee" them. But, on second thoughts, is the Christian ever to flee? "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," says James 4:7; he will do the fleeing. Surely, the Christian should never turn his back on the enemy? Isn’t that why, in "the whole armour of GOD," in Ephesians 6:13-18, there is no protection for the back? No, I’m afraid we must give up that notion; for the Roman soldier’s "breastplate" was a contraption that covered his whole body, back and front. The truth is that there are times when the only safe, and right, thing to do is to flee. Such is the advice here: that we shall put the greatest possible distance between ourselves and these things which might so easily spoil our influence, and ruin our service. Timothy must be on his guard, and on the run. Other­wise, he could so quickly jeopardise his ministry. But all this is negative. On the positive side, he is to (b) "Follow." Not on his own account merely, but "with them": he and they adopting this procedure mutually. What, then, shall Timothy be careful to pursue, and encourage them to pursue along with him? (i) "Righteousness" - that is, right dealing. Do you think we Christians are always as careful to practise this amongst our fellows? Whence comes all this criticising of one another, all this cutting of one another? Don’t we sometimes behave in an extraordinary and shocking way to brother Christians? (ii) "Faith" - that is, here, faithfulness, fidelity. Do people feel that we are always to be relied upon, to keep our word, to do our duty, to do a good turn? Can GOD trust us? (iii) "Charity" - that is, of course, love, without which all else is cold and hard. It is possible to be absolutely correct, if I may say so, dreadfully correct - as correct as a poker, and as cold and hard: what that poker needs is the fire. And what some very orthodox people need is the same thing, fire ­the fire of love - to make all their righteousness and faithfulness glow with warmth. Then (iv) "Peace" - that is, no friction, untroubled fellowship, no grit in the machinery to spoil its smooth running and its working efficiency. Sometimes, alas, there is friction in the fellowship-between leader and members, between member and member. Sometimes a member complains that another is against him; sometimes it is more widespread, and he says that everybody is against him. In this latter case, the member had better enquire of himself whether it is he that is wrong. It may not be so; but it just may be. Like the fond mother who stood on the pavement watching a company of soldiers go by. They were a fine lot of men, and marching well. The good lady’s son was among them. Presently it dawned on her that something was wrong; and turning to a neighbour, she said, "Look, my Tom is the only one in step"! Well, it may be that you are the one that is wrong. If, honestly, you find it is so, then change step, get right, get in tune with the others, so that there may be nothing to mar the untroubled fellowship. "Ye should follow His steps," 1 Peter 2:21. Timothy will find this delightful company a great refreshment to him, and a great power in the work. And if, by his fleeing and following, he can avoid injuring the fellowship, he will judge it to be infinitely worth while, whatever may be the cost to himself. If he is wise, he will spare no pains in the matter, and he will be rewarded by discovering that these negative and positive qualities have combined to win for him the esteem and affection that elders are not normally too ready to give to a youthful leader. And now we come to­ THE DIFFICULT COMPANY OF THE REBELLIOUS "Those that oppose themselves" (verse 2 Timothy 2:25). We shall be bound to meet, sooner or later, with opposition. Sometimes it will come from without the church. I do not think we need be unduly alarmed at that; perhaps we should the rather be dis­turbed if there is no opposition from that quarter. This might mean - might - that there is no real "bite" in our message, not sufficient "drive" in our work to cause any concern to the enemy. I think, however, that Paul is dealing here with the opposition that may arise within the church, which is always the more difficult to tackle. He is seeking to prepare his "son" to meet it, in whatever form it may arise, and from whatever direction it may come. What, then, will be the wise course to pursue in the face of opposition - whether, as a matter of fact, it arise either within or without? First of all, he had better (a) Decline their disputes. (i) "Foolish and unlearned questions avoid" - that word "unlearned" is interesting, it means undisciplined. It is the word one would use to designate what we know as an undisciplined child. How difficult such a little person is, how uncomfortable, how unattrac­tive, how unseemly. Well, there are such things as undisciplined questions, that ought never to be put or discussed - prying into hidden matters, probing into things that GOD has not seen fit to reveal to us, playing with spirits. "Profane and vain babblings," he has called them, in verse 2 Timothy 2:16. (ii) "They do gender strifes" and they certainly gender nothing else. Talk and argument can become a very subtle danger. I don’t believe it ever gets you anywhere, spiritually; and it so often ministers to bickering and temper - heat, without light. You can triumphantly win an argument, and yet be quite wrong; you can be somewhat brow-beaten, and crestfallen, through being beaten in argument, when all the while you were quite right. Success in argument may depend, not at all on accuracy of knowledge, but merely on nimbleness of wit and glibness of tongue. Much better "avoid" it - especially if it be concerned with undisciplined questions. (iii) "The servant of the Lord must not strive" - there are occasions when he is bound, as Jude 1:3 tells us, to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints"; but I do not imagine that our writer had that sort of thing in mind at this point. Dr. C. H. Irwin, in his Universal Commentary, had a rendering of this which seems to meet the case rather neatly - he has "The servant of the Lord must not be quarrel­some in the way in which he maintains the truth." The quarrel­some partisan can be little help to the cause, and is liable to be a great stumbling block to those that oppose themselves. On the other hand, these opposers can themselves be very quarrelsome folk. Wanting to argue, not to learn the truth, but only to "get at you", only for argument’s sake - like the Irishman who is said to trail his coat for you to trample on, only because he loves a scrap! The answer to all that is, Decline - or, in Paul’s word, "avoid" any such embroilment. However, we must (b) Deal with their difficulties. (i) And to that end, Timothy, like ourselves, is to be "apt to teach." Paul has said the same thing, in 1 Timothy 3:2, when discussing the qualities necessary to bishops in general; and now he repeats it for the benefit of his young friend in particular. It is one word in the Greek, and the late Bishop Handley Moule has a delightful translation of it - he says he is to be "explanatory." I wonder if we are all explanatory Christians? Are we by word of mouth, as opportunity occurs, and by example of life, explain­ing to people, even to opposers, the Christian message, the Christian gospel, the Christian way, the Christian life - showing them the truth? It is vastly better to explain than to argue. And (ii) Don’t forget that he is to be "in meekness instructing." There is to be a humble selflessness about it. His aim is to be not to score, but to save. You will remember that when our LORD said, in Matthew 11:29, "I am meek and lowly in heart", it was in connection with His teaching ministry, "Learn of Me." It is all too possible even for Christian teachers to be self-­assertive, self-opinionated, and self-seeking. And if, as in Timothy’s case, it is the younger who is to instruct the older, there is all the greater need for meekness - otherwise, the pupils may so readily take umbrage, and the truth so easily lose caste. We are to seek to help the opposers in their difficulties, but we must be careful to do it in the right spirit. So we are to (c) Display real sympathy. After all, why are they in the position of opposers? Were they always such; or is there some sad history behind their present attitude? If we knew all, we might be inclined to cease being restive, and annoyed, with them; we might become even eager, not to snub nor to beat them, but to help and to save them. You would some­times find that this antagonism arises out of a lack of oppor­tunity; they have never had the chance of hearing, still less of understanding, the Christian way; they pick up spurious criticisms in the workshop or office, they swallow it all, and they repeat it parrot-wise. Brought up in almost "heathen" sur­roundings at home, they simply don’t know. Don’t get angry with them, get anxious for them, and try, with all the sympathy you can muster, to be "explanatory." Or, maybe their inimical spirit has grown out of some hard and bitter experience of life. Loss, pain, bereavement, failure came, and they blamed GOD. They have got it all wrong, of course; but do try to let them see that you do care. Sometimes your sympathy will melt their poor cold heart, break up the hard soil, and give you the chance to sow your seed. Again, their hostile attitude may have been born out of the evil effect of a professing Christian’s inconsistency. I wonder if we Christians realise how much harm can be done by a careless walk, and how many have been "put off" by our unworthy behaviour. I know it is very foolish of them to judge all Christians by the standard of bad ones - as if they would thereafter reject all half-crowns if one day they discovered a bad one; but, foolish or not, the fact is they do it. In case your opposer was stumbled by such a bad specimen, take great pains to show him, in your own person, what a really good one is like. Above all, don’t be impatient with him, he needs your utmost sympathy. Then, there are those whose animosity is really the fruit of moral defeat. If you could track it down to its source, you would discover that that is the trouble. To quieten their accusing conscience they have reared up this barrier of opposition around themselves - they can only feel secure by pretending that it doesn’t matter, and that they don’t care, and that any­how they don’t believe in that old-fashioned nonsense any longer. No, don’t be cross with them; you will never win them back that way, your superiority will only drive them further still. So the apostle gives us two words to guide us in our contacts with these difficult people. (i) "Gentle." The Psalmist says once (Psalms 18:35), "Thy gentleness hath made me great." What amazed him was that, although, by reason of his sin, He might have dealt with him in great anger, He was actually so gentle with him. An exercise of His power would, indeed, have im­pressed him; but the exhibition of His gentleness just astonished him. Anything that he had subsequently done, anything that he had come to be, ran back to that, as its source and secret. If only we would try this quiet quality, we should be surprised how much it does accomplish. So often it has happened, after the pattern of 1 Kings 19:11-12, that the LORD, Who was not in the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, has manifested Himself in the "still, small voice." Then, in our sympathetic way, let us be gentle with these rather awkward opposers, remembering always that "gentleness," according to Galatians 5:22 is part of "the fruit of the Spirit." (ii) "Patient" The word used means "patient with ill." It is a medical term. Professor David Smith says it signified a "sufferer who bore his malady bravely and uncomplainingly." Those upsets and irritations caused by these opposers are as unpleasant symptoms which Timothy is to bear with patience, even to treat with humour. They will not fail to be impressed by such a God-controlled re­sponse to what they have had to suffer. (iii) "GOD will give them repentance" - yes, that is the whole desire and longing of the believer; no matter what the inconvenience, what the trouble, what the suffering, if only these souls can be reached for GOD. Acts 5:31 tells us that the LORD JESUS CHRIST was exalted Prince and SAVIOUR to give repentance . . . and forgive­ness"; Acts 11:18 explains that "God . . . granted repent­ance unto life"; while Romans 2:4 reminds us that "the goodness of God leadeth . . . to repentance." May it be our privilege so to show them this crucified and exalted CHRIST, so to reflect to them this goodness of GOD, that they may be brought, through real repentance, to forgiveness and to life. (iv) "To the acknowledging of the truth" - the repentance must come first, and then this further blessing, which, if we may so translate the word, really implies "the accurate knowledge of the truth." They have never had any knowledge of the truth, or else they have lost what knowledge they had once enjoyed; but now, whether blind from birth, or blind from accident, each can say, "Whereas I was blind, now I see," John 9:25; or, in the eye-opening experience of another, "Behold, I thought . . . behold, now I know", 2 Kings 5:11; 2 Kings 5:15. So is the sad, and perhaps obstinate, opposition overcome. How seemingly implacable was the bitter enmity to CHRIST of this very man who now writes to counsel young Timothy on the best method of dealing with opponents. Then, such utter repentance, root and branch, was granted him by the Exalted Prince and SAVIOUR on the Damascus road, that, as he reveals to us in Galatians 1:23, the churches heard "that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed"! Well, such repentance will automatically remove all erstwhile opposers out of this difficult company into the third group that this passage speaks of, the people of the last verse of our present portion­ THE DESIRABLE COMPANY OF THE RESTORED "They that recover themselves out of the snare of the devil" (verse 2 Timothy 2:26). Two blessed experiences are said to have been theirs, the one negative, the other positive. How often Paul presents truth to us from that twofold aspect. (a) They "are Escaped from the devil." (i) "Out of the snare of the devil," he says. How many are all unconsciously ensnared in that trap: they would be greatly surprised, and highly incensed, if they were told they were told they were, and it is only when they try to escape that they become really aware of their imprisonment. How cleverly the devil lures us, working with, and working upon, the thing that fascin­ates us. Mice don’t like traps; but they do like cheese - and there lies the tragedy. There is a passage (James 1:14), where we are given what one might call the physiology of temptation - "every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." That is the way Satan lures us, draws us away: he plays upon our lust, our particular strong leaning or liking - that’s the cheese! So he gets us. How did these people of Timothy’s get into that undesirable situation? Why, they were just bemused. (ii) "That they may recover themselves", says our verse; and the word gives us our clue. It means, "to be restored to soberness." The late Dean Alford puts it this way, "These people have, in a state of intoxication, been entrapped; and are enabled, at their awaking sober, to escape." So they recover themselves. One is reminded of the prodigal, in Luke 15:17, who "came to himself." He had not been himself for a long time. Benjamin Disraeli once said of W. E. Gladstone that he was "intoxicated with the exuberance of his own verbosity"; well, that prodigal, it seems, was intoxicated with the exuberance of his own conviviality - he had completely lost himself. But "when he came to himself" - he saw his utter folly, and found his way back home again. So he recovered himself; and so these parishioners of Ephesus. These prisoners of Satan, shall be restored - for we turn now from the negative to the positive. On that side of this desirable picture we observe that (b) They are embraced by the LORD. We come here to what is a most difficult problem for the expositor, and I must try my rather unskilled hand upon it. The last phrase of the chapter reads "who are taken captive by him at his will." Who is this "him" this "his"? Following the A.V., I have refrained from the use of capital letters until we have seen our way to the possible identification of the person, or persons. They are, as a matter of fact, two different words in the Greek; and a no less redoubtable authority than the late Dr. Samuel Green, in his Handbook to the Grammar of the Greek Testament, p. 282, says, "The two pronouns can hardly refer to the same subject." He himself believes in company with many other commentators, that the first refer to Satan and the second to GOD. Conversely, there is another school, who hold that the first word refers right back to "the servant of the LORD", in verse 2 Timothy 2:24. while the second belongs to GOD. Only a very few consider that both words point to the devil. Now, two considerations give me pause before coming down off the fence. One Dr. Green’s own word "hardly", in which I think I detect the tone of a voice that is not absolutely certain - almost so, but not quite; though hardly likely, it is just possible there may be another view of the matter. Then, the late learned Dr. A. T. Robertson in that massive Grammar of the Greek New Testament of his, pages 706 f., in discussing the use and force of the second of our two words, points out its frequent employment in a repetitive emphatic sense, taking up the former word and stressing it. This is not always the case: we shall presently come across an instance (in 2 Timothy 3:9) where the same two words are used as quite obviously referring to two different people; but this does not affect the other use which we have mentioned above. It appears that no rule of grammar would be violated if we made both words relate to one person. And now, bearing all this in mind, I turn to the late Dr. Handley Moule, remembering that he was both an exceptionally competent Greek scholar and also a deeply taught Bible expositor, and I discover that, in his Devotional Com­mentary, p. 101, in his paraphrastic translation, he makes the words both refer to one Person, to GOD Himself. So, following so admirable a guide, here I am, down on this side of the fence! Following upon this decision (i) Of taken captive by Him," calls for a capital H. And it means that the people in view are released from one captivity only to be embraced in another. 2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of CHRIST" - in our present study it is not thoughts, but persons, that are thus happily arrested. But how beneficently, and magnificently, different is this second captivity. The actual word employed means "to catch alive." It is used in only one other place in the New Testament, Luke 5:10, where our Lord promises "from henceforth thou shalt catch men." That is, "catch them alive." He was addressing professional fishermen; they would catch fish for destruction, but they should catch men for life. Souls will be different from soles. Let it be added that Satan captures for destruction, but the MASTER for life - eternal life. How infinite a privilege it is if we are allowed to catch people for Him. All too often we regard this honour all too lightly, and give all too little to its prosecution. C. H. Spurgeon, in his travel notes, says the herons were "stand­ing in the water, still and motionless, as if they were stuffed birds. They will so stand, hour after hour, and never seem to move; and when, at last, a fish goes by, down goes that terrible bill, the fish is captured, and the fisher becomes again as motion­less as before," And he adds, "If a bird can continue thus to watch for a little fish, we who are fishers of men ought to be willing to watch long for souls, if by any means we may save them." Yes, indeed. So, through us, or independently of us, He captures souls out of their former bondage, (ii) "At His will" - capital H again, and emphatically this time; for, in contrast to their former experience, their new captivity is to be used to serve His will. Three wills are concerned - their own will had been lost, in their sad intoxication; Satan’s will had been imposed upon them; now GOD’s will is to be paramount. The little word "at" is a purposive preposition, its proper signi­ficance is seen if we translate, as we should, "for the purpose of His will." That was the purpose of His enabling us to escape, that was the purpose of His taking us into His embrace: that we should now be devoted to the doing of His will; "Our wills are ours, to make them Thine," as our poet says. How all-attractive, how all-embracing is that will of His. You may remember those lines of Whittier’s in his poem, "The Common Question": "And so I sometimes think our prayers Might well be merged in one; And nest and perch and hearth and church Repeat, ’Thy will be done’." Well, Timothy, and you my readers, these are three of Groups you will assuredly meet - and that you must assiduously try to help. I think one of my reflections upon our study of this passage will be, How interesting people are, especially from the Christian point of view. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 34: 02.11. 2TI 3:1-9 - A MIRROR OF LAST DAYS ======================================================================== Chapter Eleven -- A Mirror of Last Days 2 Timothy 3:1-9 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. "In the last days" - what is the period to which the phrase refers? Some say that it describes the whole of this age, from the Departure to the Return of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Others hold that it means only the close of the age, the last times immediately preceding His Coming. Personally, I believe that the latter view is the correct one, and that what we have in this passage is an outline of the deplorable character that will become outstandingly common amongst men at that time. Yet, the sad characteristics are, alas, not the exclusive property of this last period; for in different ways and degrees they have appeared and will appear, through the years. So much so that it has often happened, in the course of history, that life has become so evil, and so like to such verses as these of our present portion, that earnest people have thought, "these that we are living in must be the last days." Yet it has passed, a certain improvement has been manifested - and then another outbreak has occurred; and once more godly folk have wondered. It may, then, be said that while in the intervening years some measure of the picture will, from time to time, be seen, yet when the end-time really does dawn, these dread qualities will be so widespread, and so deep-seated, as has never been before. Any time, therefore, that, in any exaggerated degree, exhibits such a manifestation of prevalent sin may turn out to be, in all solemn truth, "the last days" before the Day of His Appearing. If we find such elements in our present-day life, we are bound to pause for serious reflection concerning this possibility. It may be, or it may not be - it may pass, as have other similar seasons; but we do well to make enquiry. Some people have said that Paul expected these things, and the Return, to come immediately, and that circumstances have proved him to be wrong; yet I think we may reply that Paul never said it would be immediate, but that it might be a very different thing. It is evidently the LORD’s intention that each succeeding generation of believers shall remain on the "qui vive": "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour . . ." Matthew 25:13. Let each following age of Christians watch, let each individual Christian watch - for any emphatic recrudescence of evil men might prove to be the pre­dicted sign of "the last days," whose marks so frequently have shown themselves. As our own Cowper has written, in his "Winter Walk at Noon": "The prophets speak of such, and, noting down The features of the last degenerate times, Exhibit every lineament of these." It was eighteenth-century times that the poet spoke of; his words have equal point for "these" twentieth-century days, as we shall presently observe. Timothy was to see some of these things in his time, as the closing words of verse 5 make plain, yet those did not turn out to be "the last days"; we, too, see these things, yet these may not be "the last days" - but they might be. "Watch therefore" - in case. Let us, then, look now into this Divinely given Mirror of the conditions of the End Time, and note how it discloses­ THE TYPE OF PEOPLE We observe them here in the Glass, and we cannot but be struck, in not a few instances, by the remarkable resemblances to our own times. Indeed, as we watch, let us beware of any ungodly censoriousness, or unhumble superiority - for it may be that even we ourselves personally, individually, Christians though perhaps we be, are not altogether immune from some of these undesirable traits here depicted. With this personal proviso in mind, we note, first, that (a) Their Behaviour is all wrong. What a catalogue of infamy it is. As we mention each particular, I will add Moffatt’s translation of the word, lending, as it will do, necessary illumination or correction. (i) "Blasphemers", abusive. Dr. Moule renders it "foul-mouthed" - a strong expression for the gentle Bishop to allow himself! But, what a mark of our day is the loose language that abounds in so many quarters - the lying, the swearing, the filth, the blasphemy. (ii) "Disobedient to parents." Am I reading from my Bible, or is it my morning newspaper? how, on the very day I was studying this portion, The Times recorded a speech of Mrs. E. M. Lowe, former Chairman of the London County Council, made on 13th December 1943, in which she says, "We have never had so many parents bringing girls to the courts . . . said to be out of control." The phrase might, indeed, have come from The Times as truly as Timothy. (iii) "Unthankful," ungrateful. Oblivious of any goodness of GOD or man; taking everything for granted. Having no use for GOD while things go well; using Him only as Someone to blame if things go ill. (iv) "Unholy", irreverent. This is, alas, one of the prevailing features of these days - scarcely anything is held sacred, hymns are hilariously guyed or parodied the Bible becomes a medium for what are imagined to be funny stories; and many Christians laugh heartiest. (v) "Truce-breakers", relentless. In order to gain our end, becoming utterly careless of our bond, our word, our pledge. (vi) "False accusers." scurrilous. How prone we are - yes, even we in the churches to scandal-mongering, back-biting, unkind gossiping; attempting to find out whether the thing be true or false. Indeed the truer it is, the more serious it becomes. They have a saying in legal circles, "The greater the truth, the greater the libel." (vii) "Incontinent," dissolute. A woeful lack of self-control in matters of sex throughout the land is deeply disturbing the more serious thinkers of the day; the laxity of morals, and the alarming increase of venereal disease, are creating immense problems in the minds, not only of religious people, but of decent citizens. (viii) "Fierce," savage. While in some quarters seems to be a growth in kindliness, there is elsewhere an increase in cruelty. In any case, the savage tongue is still actively at work as ever, inflicting wounds that break hearts and blast hopes, and ruin lives. (ix) "Traitors," treacherous, Undependable; quite prepared to change sides, if it seem advantageous to do so; having no real convictions to stick to; having no sense of loyalty to any cause, or any person, unless Self. (x) "Heady," reckless, Headstrong; having taken the bit in his teeth, becoming entirely heedless of right, or of others, or of consequences. What a distressing picture the Mirror gives back! But there is more yet. Behind the behaviour is the thought. (b) Their Opinion is all wrong. We shall not find it easy to accept what such people think about any matter. But see here (i) Their opinion of themselves. - "Boasters", boastful - of what they do, and of what they are; - "proud", haughty - as if humbler folk were beneath consideration, even beneath notice; - "high-minded", conceited - eaten up with self-esteem, bloated with self-importance. How forcibly it all reminds us of the Pharisee of Luke 18:10 ff. "I, I, I, I, I" - ­yes, five times over in two verses. He had the very highest opinion of himself. And, mind you, he had his points. "I fast twice in the week" - why, but he was, by his Law, required to fast once in the year only, on the Day of Atonement. "I give tithes of all that I possess" - why, but he was, by his Law, expected to tithe only certain of his possessions, but he taxed all. Splendid! Ah, but what a spirit of boastfulness. Timothy would be called to meet, and to deal with, some of his blood relations. Indeed, they are not extinct yet. Look, too, at (ii) Their opinion of others. How terribly misguided it can be. For example, as here, "despisers of those that are good." You have heard of Christians who put people off by their inconsistency ("Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God", Psalms 51:14), and of others who put people off, with the best intentions in the world, by their blundering tactlessness; but the strange thing is that sometimes people are put off by a Christian’s sheer goodness. The mere sight of them becomes a rebuke to their ungodliness; sinfulness cannot abide such saintliness - and, if it is only to quiet their conscience, this hatred of the good is born within them. I wonder if, among the "ungodly sinners" of Enoch’s day, that Jude 1:15 tells us about, there were some who grew to loathe the lovely character of that dear man who, amid all the base wickedness of those times, "walked with God," Genesis 5:22; Genesis 5:24. I wonder, too, what, out of their daily intercourse and intimacy, the wicked heart of Judas made of the holy life of JESUS. Did that traitor become a despiser of the good, as these "traitors" of our passage did? Maybe; but, in any case, their opinion is of no value; their mind was all awry. How different is the true and loyal believer who can say, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 2:16, "we have the mind of Christ" - who in everyday practical life, as they simply "trust and obey", so closely "walk with the LORD" that they come to know what His mind would be about things, who are quite sure of His opinion and ever ready to make it theirs. But, in presenting these "men" to us, our passage goes further still. Down underneath their behaviour, and their opinion, lies that which explains the unsatisfactory condition of both. (c) Their Affection is all wrong. It is said that they are "without natural affection," callous - husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, living under strained relationships. What a tragedy it all is; and how revealing as the source of so much of the wider evil that obtains. Yes, but in the absence of this proper feeling, where is their affection placed? Our passage is clear: they are (i) "Lovers of their own selves," wrapped up in themselves - and an uncommonly small parcel it will make, I expect. (ii) "Covetous," that is, Lovers of money. Of itself money is no evil thing; it can be a very useful thing, and can exercise a very blessed ministry in the world; but, as Paul had told his "son" earlier (1 Timothy 6:10), "the love of money is the root of all evil." (iii) "Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." What a wild, mad, feverish rush after pleasure has this modern age seen, with multitudes of its people supremely bored if anyone night be without its "flicks", or its dance, or its "do" of some sort. Even some Christians are so swept up by the thing that their love of pleasure is beginning to sap their love of GOD. A certain relaxation of mind and of spirit is, in this busy world, not only permissible, but necessary - provided only that it be of the right kind, and in the right portion, and at the right time; but to set our love upon it is quite a different proposition. It is a dangerous and damaging to love unworthy things. A great friend of mine tells of how, on one occasion, while he was immensely enjoying a piece of chocolate, he said to his mother, "Mummie, I do love chocolate"; to which his wise mother replied, "But, Dick, you mustn’t love chocolate. Like it, by all means, but don’t love it. This fine quality is to be reserved for things worthier than sweets. Pleasure, Money, Self - these are to be respected, and to be kept in their proper place, but never to be loved. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth", is the inspired direction to believers through Colossians 3:2. Misplaced affection is, after all, the explanation of so much of the evil living that "the last days," and even these days, display. Such is, alas, the type of people disclosed in this Mirror. And now look again, and see - THEIR KIND OF PIETY How strange it seems to talk of such a thing as piety in connection with the sort of persons we have been, perforce, discussing. Dr. Alexander Maclaren sees them as "pagans masquerading as Christians." (a) Religion as a Form - is what we have in them, "having a form of godliness", as our verse 2 Timothy 3:5 says. In spite of the sinful life they are living, in spite of the wicked state of their hearts, they have retained a certain shell of religiousness. - they may go to church still, - they may say their prayers still, - they may read their Bible still, - they may attend their Communion still, - they may even take their class still; but there is no real religion about this outwardly exemplary adherence to the old splendid habits - it is all unreal, only formal. Yes, strangely enough the Form is maintained; but (b) Religion as a Force - is unknown to them; or, if they ever did know it, they have since become strangers to it, "denying the power thereof." So far as we ourselves individually are concerned, that religion is a farce which is not a force - "vain" is the Bible’s own for word for it, James 1:26. The "men" of our present passage are notable for the absence of any restraining, or constraining religious force in their conduct and character. Their profession is but an outer veneer, an empty shell - like that tine, strong, exquisitely modelled chair that you dare not sit on, because the white ants have eaten away all its "inside," and left only the outward Form. Their so-called "faith" doesn’t "work" - it is a "dead" thing, as James 2:26 tells us. A religion that doesn’t influence our lives is a pitiable thing, having short shrift from Scripture. Yet so distinguished a person as Lord Melbourne is reported to have said, in the course of a debate in the House, "We have come to a pretty pass if religion is going to be allowed to interfere with our ordinary daily lives" - or words to that effect. It is an empty piety that these people profess. Nevertheless, I am going to venture the opinion that there are far fewer deliberate and conscious hypocrites in the world than we suppose. Most of this ilk would be immensely surprised at the charge. Some of them have known better days, and are tragically unaware that things are changed, like poor Samson, in Judges 16:20, who "wist not that the Lord was departed from him", and fondly imagined that things were "as at other times before." Or, like that other of whom Hosea 7:9 reports that "strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." How infinitely sad it all is - how easily possible for the writer, or his reader. Let us not forget to look at ourselves in this Mirror, as well as at those who are thus the more prominently exposed. Well, the apostolic injunction runs, "From such turn away" - which means, I suppose, two things. First, that Timothy, as an individual, was studiously to avoid the company of such undesirable people as have been described. Second, that Timothy, as a leader, was carefully to guard the purity of the church, both in respect of doctrine, of practice, and of life and so to see to the exclusion from membership of all such. And now we turn to a second big surprise about these men - the first was that any kind of religion should be associated with them; and now comes the unexpected news that there was credited to them a certain missionary zeal, a desire to extend their ranks by winning fresh adherents. It is a plain fact that while hetero­doxy is mostly so eager to get others, orthodoxy is so shy, or so slothful, that it remains too easily content with those already won. My reader, how long ago is it since you made any serious endeavour to "find another, just as Andrew found his brother"? Turn again to our Mirror, and observe­ THEIR METHOD OF PROPAGANDA You will see at once that they are (a) Masters of cunning - "which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women." We must be careful about that (i) "Silly" - I think it does not imply lack of brains, but lack of stability. They are not the only ones to be afflicted with this disability; plenty of men are just as weak; but it happens to be women in this case. (ii) "Lead captive" - reminds us of that "taken captive" at the end of the previous chapter; only this time it is such a different word in the Greek - here it is, indeed, a taking prisoner, with all the loss of freedom and comfort which that involves. Their captures are captive indeed. But, why that (iii) "Creep" - there is something sinister, something of cunning, about it. They thus get the women; but where are the men? Ah, that’s where the slyness comes in: the men are not at home, perhaps they are at the office, earning the family bread and butter. This afternoon hour is the safest possible time for these unhealthy propagandists to "creep" round the streets, and call at the (iv) "Houses" - door-step propaganda. Have you had them at your door-step, I wonder? Christian Scientists, Spiritualists, Christadelphians, Jehovah’s Witnesses. How assiduous, they are. Don’t you admire their pertinacity, sometimes even their pugnacity? Does not their fine zeal move you to shame? By comparison with them, we are so many of us so slow, and slothful yet - we have such an infinitely better Cause! Timothy here may rest assured that he will find these people ever eager to swell their numbers by gaining new converts; and he will need to exert himself, and to encourage others, to counteract their endeavours. The representatives of the MASTER will need to formulate their plans for door-step evangelism, and to go round streets and houses engaging themselves in what some in the Chinese Christian Church call "gossiping the Gospel." But wherein is the secret of these people’s success in this method? I imagine it lies in the fact that their visits synchronise with need in the homes they call at; for they are (b) Exploiters of conscience - "women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts." The evil things they have done, the evil things they have desired, have become a load upon their mind. How shall they get release? It is at such a juncture that these evil teachers appear upon their door-step, telling them that they need not worry, that they are all right. Thus do they fulfil the prophet’s words, "They have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 8:11). Oh, that we might learn to go to their door-steps with the thorough-healing message of Matthew 11:28, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Those poor women were "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"­ - in their restlessness of mind, ever consumed with religious curiosity, yet never arriving at any real knowledge, any clear faith. And they never will until they "learn of Me" as the MASTER said in that same Matthew passage. For it is not "the truth" that those District Visitors offer on their rounds; rather are they (c) Purveyors of counterfeit" - "as Jannes and Jambres." (i) Those gentlemen "withstood Moses" by pretending to do the same wonders that he did. Is Pharaoh impressed by that stick becoming a serpent? These Court Magicians are snake-charmers: their reptile, mesmerised stiff as a rod, shall, on being thrown to the ground, break out into wriggling life. The same as Moses? No; a counterfeit - their "stick" never was a stick. Shall Pharaoh be unduly moved by Moses turning all that Nile water red? His own conjurers can match that trick - fetch them a jug of clear water from somewhere, and lo, the thing is done. Shall frogs come forth at Moses’ word? Well, what conjurer worth his salt knows not how to produce rabbits from his hat - or frogs, for that matter? So is Moses discredited again in the royal eyes, for his magicians match Moses at every point - or so it seems. But their powers of counterfeit have their limits - "lice" are beyond them; performing fleas they might have managed, but not those dreadful little things. They have to admit their defeat, "This is the finger of GOD," Exodus 8:19. Their wonders have all been masterpieces of counterfeit - not legitimate, but legerdemain. There is something particularly apt in introducing the mention of magicians in a letter bound, as II Timothy was, for Ephesus, seeing that that city was a very home of magic, and abounded in incantations. We recall Acts 19:1-41, to remind ourselves of Paul’s encountering there the exorcists, "sons of Sceva", who dared to use the Holy Name as an incantation, to their own dire mis­fortune. And in the same chapter the practitioners of these "curious arts" made a bonfire of their books of incantations, as a sign and seal of the reality of their conversion. Without doubt, the Bishop of magic-ridden Ephesus would be intrigued by the mention of those wicked old conjurers of long ago. In like fashion (ii) These gentlemen "also resist the truth" by pretending to preach the same gospel as Paul, or as Timothy. In reality it is a counterfeit of the true. It is the same old message, they will say, only couched in more modern terms - the Identity is the same, though the Dress may be more up-to-date. "So they wrap it up," as Micah 7:3 says. Well, this has been a depressing Study; but it is necessary for us to be thus fore-warned, and fore-armed. All this wrong behaviour, and opinion, and affection are to be expected in the perilous atmosphere of "the last days" - all this hollow religious­ness - all this subtle and energetic counterfeit. And if we see these things abounding in our day, it may be we are nearer the End-Time than we thought; the MASTER may, in very truth, be on His way. In any case, we will keep a look-out. But is the hope of His advent only dark and dismal? A thousand times, No! It is characterised by Titus 2:13 as "that blessed [happy] hope." It has its somber side; but how sunny is its other side. Do you happen to know that exquisite sonnet of Keats on Homer? If you do, you will recall that lovely line - "There is a budding morrow in midnight." For the true believer, the emphasis of His Advent is not black, but bright; not on the midnight, but on the morrow. If our present passage has had to stress the prevailing gloom of the preceding days, let us conclude by remembering the exceeding gladness that lies just on ahead. As Psalms 30:5 assures us, "Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Even in the prevalent dark­ness which this Mirror of a Passage reveals, there is a streak of coming dawn in verse 2 Timothy 3:9, "but they shall proceed no further" - there is an appointed limit to all this! Then, hurrah for the Dawn of that budding morrow. 2 Peter 1:19. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 35: 02.12. 2TI 3:10-13 - BUT - WHAT A DIFFERENCE! ======================================================================== Chapter Twelve -- But - What A Difference! 2 Timothy 3:10-13 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. I ALWAYS think of "but" as the corner word of Scripture. As we follow the narrative, we seem to be traversing a certain kind of road until we arrive at this word, and then, for good or ill, we appear to turn a corner. In 2 Kings 5:1, what a sunlit region we find in that grand description of the splendid Naaman - what a man he was; "but . . .": instantly we are round the corner, under an overcast and black sky. In Ephesians 2:1-3, ­we discover ourselves in a hopeless and helpless condition; "but GOD . . .": we have turned a corner indeed, where the has suddenly blazed forth upon us an outburst of joy and hope and blessing. In Galatians 5:19-25, we move from the slum to the orchard - "the works of the flesh," how dirty and dilapidated, and dangerous, and degraded, they look; "but . . ." what a display of "fruit", the very next moment, the first step round the corner, rises before our delighted eyes. Well, here in our present study we turn the corner once more. In the previous passage things have been pretty dreadful - "covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unholy, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, despisers of . . . good" - what a lot! "But . . ." look now - "purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience" - what a difference! At one point, weeds, ugly, rank, poisonous weeds; and just round the corner, flowers - sweetly-scented, exquisitely-formed flowers. Isn’t that just what one would expect? After all, in the former, it is a company of unbelievers that is described; while here it is a believer. And we remember that "The LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel", Exodus 11:7 - in that old instance, as in our case, (i) A difference in fact. Israel, like ourselves, is under the Blood; and (ii) A difference in dealing - on the ground of the personally applied Blood, Israel is dealt with, not in judgment, but in grace; and (iii) A difference in conduct - what a contrast in behaviour is observable in the different houses: in one, a feast, in the other, a funeral; fearfulness for Egypt, freedom for Israel. So between the believer and the unbeliever there is, in GOD’s reckoning, a fundamental and eternal difference, and that distinction is to be evidenced in daily conduct and personal character. Thus, there is nothing surprising in the change that comes over this narrative at verse 2 Timothy 3:10. But there is something challenging about it: are we different, as different, from the others as we ought to be? You will recall the Master’s story of the Wheat and the Tares both growing together, in Matthew 13:30. The trouble was that, though "children of the wicked one", the Tares were, in outward appearance, and at that stage, so like the Wheat, "the children of the Kingdom". I have often met with people who, although not really Christians, are yet so Christian in their behaviour - ­so kindly, so unselfish, so sweetly-dispositioned, so upright, so true - so like Wheat, but really still Tares, because they have not been born again, they have not the new heart. There is, alas, another trouble of an opposite sort: that nowadays the Wheat is so often so like the Tares; those who are Christians thinking, speaking, acting, being, just like worldlings: little difference to be seen between them. It is a strange thing to see the Tares imitating the Wheat; but it is something more than strange to see the Wheat apeing the Tares. Fortunately, there was nothing of this about our beloved Paul. His was the com­pletely different life; and he was able, in all consistency, to offer to his beloved Timothy.­ A COPY FOR PATTERN It comes as a little of a shock to find that Paul here starts talking about himself, and that, as it would seem, somewhat boastingly; and this in spite of the fact that "boasters" were amongst those that he pilloried in verse 2 Timothy 3:2. There are passages in his letters in which the apostle urges upon us the great virtue of proper humility. In Colossians 3:12, he says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of GOD . . . humbleness of mind". In Romans 12:3, it is "I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think . . ." Yet this very same man now holds himself up for Timothy’s pattern: and this is by no means an isolated instance of this queer characteristic. The late delightful Dr. W. L. Watkinson once published a book, a fascinating book, called Moral Paradoxes of Paul, in which he has a chapter which he has entitled, "In Praise of Boasting". It is a searching examination of the very fact we have been speaking of. Perhaps I may be allowed to take out, as summing up what he says, "The tenth and eleventh chapters of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians appear a very paroxysm of boasting"! Well, read the chapters, and see. Or, If you prefer, narrow the enquiry a little; go to the First Epistle, and mark the phrases of the tenth verse of the fifteenth chapter - " . . . I am what I am . . . I laboured more abundantly than they all". Yes, I know; but look again - the seeming boasting is more apparent than real. He says these things, not for self-glorying, but only for GOD’s glory, only that GOD may be magnified. He attributes everything about him, if there has been any change, any growth, any energy, not to himself but to Him. It is, as the verse says, " . . . grace . . . grace . . . grace". It transpires, then, that there are occasions when we may legitimately and properly talk about ourselves, as, for example, when we are drawn to give our testimony to "what He hath done for my soul" as Psalms 66:16 puts it. Only, let us be careful, in that event, that we do so in the right spirit, and from the right motive, and along with the right behaviour. Paul must, therefore, be acquitted of all desire of vain glory: "If any improvement is to be seen in him, it is only by the grace of GOD. His estimate of his own unaided worth is for ever enshrined in that earlier word to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:15), at the end of which verse he writes, " . . . sinners, of whom I am chief"! So we approach our present passage, "Thou hast fully known" - or, as the word implies, "fully followed up, fully traced", as if running over a copy on which to pattern his own life. We know how 1 Peter 2:21 speaks of "Christ . . . leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps": that we fully understand, but Paul dares to speak differently, as in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, "Ye became followers of us, and of the LORD". That is, indeed, a remarkable claim to be able to make - that, in following him, they would, ipso facto be following CHRIST. Oh, that we, you and I, were so Christ-like that such a thing might be said concerning us, and our influence on other lives. Mark here, now, the details of that copy which Paul offers to Timothy for his pattern. First we observe: (a) Consistency in living - that first pair of qualities suggests that idea: "my doctrine, manner of life." As we have seen earlier in our Studies, here was a man whose practice coincided with his preaching: what he said in his teaching, he carried out in his behaviour. It is not always that such consistency is found amongst us; alas, we are, all too often, not what we teach, nor even what we profess. In the days long ago a pastry-cook sent his boy out early in the morning to sell his pies in the streets. At eight o’clock he started, ringing his bell and crying his wares: Hot pies! Hot pies! It was not a very successful morning, and at twelve o’clock he was still shouting, Hot pies! Hot pies! I suspect that, in spite of his loud profession, his pies had by then lost a good deal of the early warmth. Even as some of us Christians are still protesting our keenness when our hearts have grown cold. So, too, are, we sometimes guilty of harbouring things in our lives which we have earlier forsworn. Before the war, you might have entered the Hall at Olympia at certain times, to be almost deafened by the excited barking of multitudes of dogs, of all sorts, and shapes, and sizes. It was the Kennel Club Show. But, on one such occasion, if you are observant, you would have espied, at the Entrance Doors, a notice, which they had forgotten to take down, and which read, "No Dogs Admitted". Yes, that’s what it said; but the place was full of them! One recalls the time when Saul pro­fessed he had got rid of all the sheep, and was answered, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears . . .?" (1 Samuel 15:14). Pay heed to the apostolic injunction, in Php 3:2, "Beware of dogs"; and don’t profess "No Dogs" if there are dogs. Or, pursuing our inconsistencies still further, are we careful to live up to the name we bear as Christians, "that worthy Name by the which ye are called," as James 2:7 has it? "I haven’t a penny to my name," said a man at Barnet County Court the other day. Believe it or not, his name was Cash! Do you recall the scarifying word to Sardis, in Revelation 3:1, "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead". The simple illustrations will, perhaps, serve to pull us up in our infidelities: let them suffice to hold up before our conscience the inconsistency of a cold heart, a sin-ridden life, an unrealised name. Let us, with relief, turn back to our apostle, so utterly consistent in the relationship between lip and life that, as in Php 4:9, he can venture on the advice, "those things which ye have . . . heard from me, and seen in me, do". Yes, lip and life exactly coincided. That is one part of this copy. Next we have: (b) Continuance in labouring - which I think I see in the next three features here: "purpose, faith, long-suffering". There will be no denial that Paul’s one great overmastering purpose in life was the all-out, and all-in, service of GOD. Listen to him on the storm-tossed vessel in Acts 27:23, "God, Whose I am, and whom I serve". We may, next, take the "faith" in the sense of fidelity - utter faithfulness to the service which he had undertaken; and the "long-suffering" will indicate some­thing of the price demanded by his fidelity to that purpose to serve. We shall deal a little more explicitly with this cost later in this Study. We shall only stay at the point just now to emphasise the contrast between Paul’s consuming loyalty and our own all­ too-frequently feeble allegiance to GOD’s service. Not a few of us sit far too loosely to our obligations in this sphere. If our Christian work makes us a bit tired, we are all-too-prone to throw it up; if anyone dares to criticise our work, we are quick to resent it (whether they are right or wrong), and as likely as not we resign, and "leave the church". All this is no exaggeration, as my readers will very well know. Oh, for more of the purpose, faithfulness, and readiness for cost, that characterised Paul’s life! This is a second part of his copy. And the third is: (c) Constancy in loving - "charity, patience" are the two last qualities that he mentions here: that is, a love that keeps on loving; putting up with so much, but loving just the same. In an earlier war, an officer and his batman, crossing the scene of a recent battle, came upon a badly wounded enemy. Noticing his distress, the officer bade his man give him a drink from his water-bottle. At that, the sick man feebly managed to get out his revolver, and, too weak to take proper aim, fired at his stooping would-be helper. The shot fortunately went astray; and the man asked, "What shall I do now, sir?" His officer said quietly, "Give him the water just the same." Who could blame those two soldiers if, so greatly provoked, they had left the wounded man to his fate? Yet we remember that, according to Romans 5:6-10, it was "when we were without strength," "while we were yet sinners," "when we yet enemies," that GOD, in CHRIST, dealt so lovingly with us, proffering us "living water," even though we were so regardless of His grace. Paul had learnt that lesson, had imbibed that spirit; he would have his Timothy display the same undeviating love, even to those who, as the Epistle forewarns him, shall presently treat him so badly. "Love never faileth," he had taught his Corinthian friends (1 Corinthians 13:8); to Timothy, not in words only, but in practical example, he would teach this thing; and we, too, please GOD, shall pick up the same lesson. So, in these three particulars, this Spiritual Father has set before his Son in the Faith this copy of a life good and true, upon which, by the HOLY SPIRIT, the younger man shall model and fashion his own character. Truly, it is a pattern so well worthwhile spending all possible pains on. And now comes­: A CAUSE FOR PRAISE Paul continues to talk about himself; but, let us stress again, not that it shall appear how good and great he is, but how strong and faithful his SAVIOUR is. He touches first upon: (a) His own experience - "what persecutions I endured". We soft-living Christians should, I think, read and ponder such a passage as 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, "In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." What a catalogue of costs accruing to his allegiance; no wonder he said, in Galatians 6:17, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus". How little, by comparison, seem our own inconveniences, and oppositions, and sufferings, and pains for His sake. I notice that Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra are mentioned as the places of suffering; because it was the happenings in this particular district that Timothy would be familiar with - stories from the first two cities would reach his own native Lystra; and what took place there, the stoning and so on, would quite likely have transpired under his very own eyes. Thus was he able to "fully trace," as it were with his own finger, the copy of utmost fidelity that, as we have seen, Paul gave him for his pattern. But, in referring to this bunch of cities, why is Derbe left out? A glance at the narrative in Acts 14:1-28 reveals the reason that he was not persecuted in that place. Just one of the multitude of incidental and undesigned coincidences which indicate the extreme accuracy of the Scriptures. It would have been so natural, and so easy, to slip in Derbe into the list; but then it would have been inaccurate. Then Paul turns to: (b) The common Christian experience­ - "yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution". Here we see: (i) The intention of godly living­ - the "will" is to be stressed, as the indication of a deliberate purpose. Have we made it a specific decision that, as GOD’s children, we will live godly? (ii) The secret of godly living­ - will then concern us. It is only "in Christ Jesus" that we can accomplish it. Even as a plant can only live its proper life "in the earth," so we are able to do so only as we abide in Him. Such is His own teaching in John 15:4 ff. (iii) The cost of godly living - must, however, be faced. A godly life will always attract the devil’s attention; for it is so powerful an influence that he dare not leave it undisturbed. The persecution may not, as in Paul’s case, take, with us, the form of physical onslaught; but there will be opposition of some sort - ridicule, ostracism, con­tinual nagging, obstruction, or what not. Even as I prepared this lecture, a letter came to me from a young army officer, in the course of which he wrote, "Do please pray for me. I am having a difficult time just now, from opposition". Yes, whether in the forces, or in the office, or in the workshop, or in the home - If we decide to live a godly life, we shall court persecution. In the light of the apostle’s statement, is it going too far to suggest that if our Christian life is too easy, perhaps it is not too godly? That may not be wholly, or universally, true, but it behooves us all to examine ourselves, lest it happen to be true of us. And now at last we come to the cause of praise, with which this section of our study was to be concerned. (c) A glad experi­ence for us all - "out of them all the Lord delivered me". Not "from," you notice - as if we are told we shall not have un­pleasant things. The Christian is not necessarily granted immunity from the sufferings of the common human lot: here and there, with one or another, that may be in GOD’s plan for him; but normally he will be subject to the buffetings and batterings of life. Yes, they may hurt him, but they will not harm him, for "out of them all" he shall be delivered. I love to recall this same truth in Daniel 3:17 - "Our God . . . is able to deliver us from . . . and He will deliver us out of . . ." He is perfectly well able to prevent them being thrown into the burning fiery furnace, if that be His plan; but they cannot rely on that, must not expect it. Their business is to go loyally on, fully assured that He most certainly will deliver them "out of" even if not "from". How we may praise GOD for His wonderful "out of" deliverances: that, by His infinite grace, we shall be brought through life, if not unscarred, at least unsullied. The late learned Professor A. T. Robertson, of Louisville, in his book, The Minister and his Greek New Testament, has a chapter on "Pictures in Prepositions" which, I think justifies me in my careful distinction here between "from" and "out of". And now, in conclusion, see here­: A CALL FOR PITY In our verse 2 Timothy 3:13 there appears, at first sight, to be no such call; but ponder awhile. First: (a) The enemies’ progress - "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse". Of course they will. It is a perverted progress. We are familiar with The Pilgrim’s Progress, as Bunyan portrayed it: that is the right sort. But there is "The Rake’s Progress," as Hogarth painted it: that is the wrong sort. That is what we have here. There is no standing still in sin; be it never forgotten that always sinning is sinking. There may sometimes seem to be an outward improvement but there will always be an inward deterioration. Herein lies part of the reason for the persecution here prophesied. Then: (b) The enemies’ practice- "deceiving". Here we are, back again with those counterfeiters of the previous section of this chapter. Deception is their stock-in-trade; that is their modus operandi. - A counterfeit gospel - the "other gospel" of works, against which Paul thunders in Galatians 1:6 ff. - A counterfeit power - "having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh": thus, in Galatians 3:3, he warns us against deriving our power from the energy of the flesh. - A counterfeit goodness - for "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light", 2 Corinthians 11:14. Yes, it is deceit upon deceit - "seducers" here means magicians, or conjurers, like the gentlemen mentioned in verse 2 Timothy 3:8. But note this: (c) The enemies’ position - "being deceived." That is where the call for pity arises: these people, in all their wickedness, are themselves the wretched dupes of the devil. What is to be our attitude towards them who oppose us, and even persecute us? Shall we be annoyed with them - wrathfully indignant at their behaviour? Well, it depends upon what level of life we are living. If, to adopt the phraseology of 1 Corinthians 3:1, we are "carnal" - that is, Christians living on the world’s level - that will inevitably our reaction; but if we are "spiritual" - Christians living at the SPIRIT’S level - we shall rather have a great pity for them. Listen: "I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." Infinite pity: let us finish on that note. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 36: 02.13. 2TI 3:14-17 - A THOROUGH-GOING BIBLE MAN ======================================================================== Chapter Thirteen -- A Thorough-Going Bible Man 2 Timothy 3:14-17 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. An scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. IN such an age as this, when there is abroad so much loose thinking, lax living, and lop-sided teaching, few things are so important as that Christians should be men and women of the Bible - stayed on it, and steeped in it. But then, this was no less the case in Timothy’s day. As verse 2 Timothy 3:13 said, "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being de­ceived"; and, indeed, all over the Epistle there are scattered warnings and descriptions of a like sort; making it as essential for him, as for us, to have a real, solid, Bible foundation. We stand, as it were, on the shore, with the ocean of life swirling around us: and we find that the undertow of false teaching is so strong, and so subtle, that it behooves us to have our feet firmly set upon the Rock, what W. E. Gladstone called The Impregnable Rock, of Holy Scripture. Paul, therefore, devotes this section of his Letter to the urging of his spiritual son to be, in all respects, a thorough-going Bible man, even as, through him, the HOLY SPIRIT would urge us also to be the same. Note, then, how the apostle speaks of the Book in relation to the young man. ITS EARLY INFLUENCE We have (a) The faithful scholar - "continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of." I think I see here two avenues of spiritual impression. He "learned" the things from someone’s lips; he was "assured" of the truth of them by watching their effect in someone’s life. How grand it was that, whoever was responsible for his upbringing, dis­charged the responsibility by teaching him the things of GOD, in the Book of GOD, not only by Lip, but by Life. It was part of the Master’s charge against the Pharisees that "they say and do not" (Matthew 23:3) - that kind of teaching carries little weight. I remember one occasion on which I was having my hair cut, the tonsorial artist, somewhat too personally remarking that my hair was getting rather thin, proceeded to recommend a wonderful hair restorer that was warranted to be an infallible remedy for my unfortunate condition. He really was most eloquent. Unluckily for him, I have been blessed [or, cursed?] with a sense of humour, and he caught my eye as I looked at him in the mirror - his own head was as bald as an egg! His lotion had obviously been of no use to him, so why should it be to me? I am not altogether to be blamed if I do not take what the preacher does not take himself, if I do not trust what, for all his words, the preacher does not trust. Many years ago a man wrote to the famous Duke of Wellington that he had invented a bullet-proof waistcoat; and at a subsequent interview he expatiated most eloquently upon the marvellous properties of his garment. The Iron Duke bade him put it on and examined it most carefully, and then, to give it a test, he sent for a rifleman - but the inventor bolted out of the other door! He seemed, by all his talk, to believe in it; but, quite evidently, his behaviour demonstrated that he did not really believe. Alas, alas, for us preachers whose Lips are not supported by our Lives. It was beautifully otherwise with Timothy’s teachers. What, then, is he to do with those "things"? Says the apostle, "Continue thou in" them: live in them, abide in them, make your home in them, as the word suggests. To stay within the bounds, within shelter, within the intimacy, within the blessing, of Bible truth, is to be happy, indeed; to stray without, is to find only quickly in Queer Street, to invite the attention of spiritual and moral footpads, and to lose all that joy that reigns and radiates within. Timothy is to prove himself a faithful scholar, not only by learning the things, but by living in them. Then see: (b) The fine teachers - "knowing of whom thou hast learned them." In the second verse of this very chapter he mentions "the things that thou hast heard of me." If, as is the more likely, he is thinking of more than one, we shall probably look to that grand pair in 2 Timothy 1:5 - dear old grannie Lois and beloved mother Eunice. What a godly influence they had exerted upon the life of this boy; with what undying gratitude and affection he would always remember them. Paul was right up on a high pedestal in his estimation; but the pinnacle these two occupied in his mind and heart was, I fancy, even loftier still. What he had "learned" from them - listening to their words, and watching their lives - was intrinsically of deepest, eternal importance; but, however that might be, the "things" would always carry weight with him when he recalled the holy, and lovable, personalities that had taught them to him. Well, look at: (c) The first lessons- "from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures." They are unusual words that here rendered "holy scriptures": the word at the beginning of verse 2 Timothy 3:16 is the regular one; but in this verse it is an uncommon phrase that is employed. "Sacred writings", or "sacred letters" - is the idea. It occurs in several places in the New Testament; but the only other occasion on which it is adopted as referring specifically to the Bible is in our Lord’s words, in John 5:47, "ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words"? His allusion is, of course, to the Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses - the portion of the Bible that has been more savagely attacked than any other; and, strangely enough, the portion which, so far as our records go, the MASTER quoted more than any other. As if, long ere the attacks began, He would set His own imprimatur upon them. In view of what He said, in the verse quoted above, it would seem to behoove us to go very carefully in our handling of "his writings," according to His "words." However, there will be no denial that, in our present portion, Paul is speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures, when he mentions the sacred writings, or letters. But I want to suggest that he was thinking of a particular use of them. This same (unusual) word is also found in Galatians 6:11, "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hands" - it was "large characters" that he used. Do you think it over fanciful to suggest that, when Timothy was learning his letters, it was the "sacred letters" of the Bible that his teachers used for the purpose? The word "child" here used signifies just a wee thing: he couldn’t very well have known his Bible, in the ordinary way, at that tender age; but he could have known its letters. I see one or other of his instructresses, with Tiny Tim on her knee - his little finger, following hers, tracing out the characters, thus early coming to know the "feel" of the paper, the "look" of the letters. Then, too, his first stories were learnt out of the same sacred book. Oh, wise and happy teachers, that nurtured and nourished this little opening mind from such a source. Oh, you who have a like privilege, see that you follow a like plan: make the Bible the child’s book of letters. We have a Whole Bible to teach them from. Well - Timothy has thus enjoyed, and is for ever to profit by, the Early Influence of his Bible: now note­: ITS PRIMARY OFFICE The Bible has many functions to perform; but first and fore­most, fundamentally, this: to make plain to sinful men the Way of Salvation. (a) It deals thus with what is our first need - "able to make thee wise unto salvation" Man is just a bundle of needs - physical, mental, and spiritual; but his greatest need is for salvation. As Peter, speaking by the HOLY GHOST, said, in Acts 4:12, " . . . we must be saved." A man, under deep conviction, once went to the American Evangelist, Dr. Torrey, and told him he wanted to become a Christian. "Well?" said that monosyllabic preacher. "I have a great difficulty", con­tinued the enquirer. "Well?" "You see, I feel sure that if I am to be a Christian, I must give up my business." "Well?" "Well, I must live!" "Why?" He didn’t get much change out of the Doctor, did he? But he did get this: that even life itself is not a real necessity - at least, not this present life. Eternal life is the one eternal necessity, "we must be saved." Let us not restrict that word "saved" to the narrow limits of being rescued from hell - it does include that, thank God it does; but it means so much else besides. May it be put this way? It embraces: (i) A freeing from sin, in all its aspects. Deliverance from its guilt, its penalty, its stain, its doom, its power. (ii) A fashioning in holiness: the taking of the converted man, and transforming him into "the image of His dear Son" as Romans 8:29 has it. (iii) A fellowship in His Church: we are not saved merely for our own satisfaction, to save our own skins; we are, as old General Booth used to love to say, "saved to serve"; and Luke 1:74 justifies him. Moreover, though we are saved as individuals, one by one, we are thereupon brought into the company, the body, the fellowship, that we may each take our place, and our part, in the Church’s life, and worship, and adven­ture, and service. (iv) A future in Glory: we are not only saved from hell, but saved to Heaven - with all the joys, and blessings, and glories, and activities that that implies and includes. Salvation is not simply a negative blessing, but a something so glori­ously and thrillingly positive. All which goes to show how infinitely desirable salvation is; but our point at the moment goes further than that - we say that salvation is eternally essential, "we must be saved" or perish: dread word, dire alternative! Yet, that dark word comes-warning-like - in the midst of the most Evangelical Verse of all, "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life", John 3:16. Let the modernistic theologians explain how they entitle themselves to emasculate the implications of that dread word while yet retaining the full content of the other words. While dwelling, with wondering amazement, upon the Love of GOD, let us not forget the equal truth, the concurrent quality, of the Righteousness of GOD: it is the astonishing accomplishment of the Cross that, with unimpeachable justice, it succeeds in satisfying both these characteristics in its Way of Salvation. But, in our teaching and preaching, let us not omit that "other side"; let us, in all faithfulness, proclaim the clear alternative - the pardon, or the perishing. How arresting is that phrase, in Exodus 34:7, "and that will by no means clear the guilty", coming as it does in such a beautiful context. The great Scots’ preacher, Dr. W. M. Clow, calls it "the dark line in GOD’s face." However much the idea be disliked by present-day preachers, it is there - still there - in the Scriptures. Oh, "how guilty" we are, and how urgently true it is that "we must be saved." Yes, but how? It is the primary office of the Holy Scriptures to "put us wise" on that - "to make thee wise unto salvation". And so: (b) It reveals what is the only way of meeting that need­ "in Christ Jesus." Timothy, of course, had only the Old Testament to go on. The earliest of the New Testament books was, I suppose, Paul’s First Thessalonians, and if we date that at about A.D. 52. it cannot have been extant when Timothy was a little child. Still, if he only had the Old Testament to learn from, the boy had Spirit-taught teachers to instruct him in its meaning - the two devoted women, and the apostle himself. The Old Testament showed him his need of a SAVIOUR; and pointed to a SAVIOUR that should come. His teachers were able to show him that in the Person of the LORD JESUS, that SAVIOUR had come; and led him to receive Him. It was an interesting example of that remark about the Old Testament that Paul had written years before. in Galatians 3:24. "the Law was our school­master, to bring us to Christ." From that old pedagogue was learnt: (i) Our duty - that is what we ought to do, and to be. GOD’s Ideal and purpose for His children. But then we learn (ii) Our failure - the standard was magnificent, but man has failed to reach it; indeed. by deliberate choice, he has preferred a lower. and even an antagonistic, life. The Old Book emphasises that over and over again; and even more does it teach us, namely: (iii) Our weakness - it is not only that we have not, but that we can not, reach the level of GOD’s ideal; cannot, that is, of ourselves, for one other lesson the Law imparts. (iv) Our hope - we ought, we haven’t, we can’t: we have come to a fine pass! Whatever is to be done? The situation leads us to look for deliverance outside of ourselves; and the Scriptures kindle within us a glowing hope as, by story, and by promise, and by type, and by prophecy, they point to One Who can, and shall, save. Thus does the Law act the schoolmaster leading us to "Christ in you, the Hope of Glory," (Colossians 1:27). All which Timothy got from his Bible, beginning from his tenderest years, as his teachers unfolded it. One other thing is to be included in this saving office of the Holy Scriptures: (c) It shows what is the part that we have to Play - "through faith." GOD’s part is to provide - "God will provide Himself a Lamb", Genesis 22:8; "Thy salvation, which Thou has prepared," Luke 2:30-31. But if that sacrifice, and that consequent salvation, are to be ours, we have a part to play - "faith", which is the Hand of the Soul, must be stretched forth to receive; the eternal blessing, with all it contains, is for "as many as received Him," John 1:12. Now this is contrary to all human thinking. this is not the product of Reason, but of Revelation. If man were set to draw up for himself a plan of salvation, he would almost certainly build up his hope around his own merit, his own works; he would make his "hopes of Heaven depend" upon his doing the best he can; his natural instinct will rebel against the thought that "our best is nothing worth" in this matter; it is only by Divine Revelation that he will discover that "by grace are ye saved, through faith . . . not of works, lest any man should boast", Ephesians 2:8-9. Right­fully, then, does the Bible discharge its Primary Office in making us, even as Timothy, "wise unto salvation." Cowper, in his "Truth", speaks of a humble cottager who " . . . in that charter reads, with sparkling eyes, Her title to a treasure in the skies" We, too. in that same Charter of Scripture, are assured of that same treasure - not only for hereafter, but also for here. And now for­: ITS SUBSEQUENT MINISTRY When the Book has brought us to "salvation." it does not then desert us, and leave us to our own devices. That "salva­tion" ushered us into a new life, "being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. by the Word of GOD" says 1 Peter 1:23. From that moment the same Word goes on with us into the new life, to be to us so much that we then need - "as newborn babes, desire the sincere [unadulterated] milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby", 1 Peter 2:2; "You, young men . . . . are strong. and the Word of GOD abideth in you." 1 John 2:14. Evidently, the Holy Scriptures have a prominent place in the true development of our spiritual life from juvenility to maturity. How entirely adequate the Bible is for that task; for: (a) It is so remarkably conditioned - "all scripture is given by inspiration of God." It is this "inspiration" which is the secret of the Bible’s power, and which makes it an utterly unique book. It is no use people talking about treating it as any other book: you can’t. It isn’t like any other book, it is quite on its own. What is the nature of this quality? Well, the Bible itself nowhere exactly defines it, and is content just to state the fact; and we shall be wise to follow the same course. Still, there are some things that may usefully be said. The five words, "given by inspiration of GOD." are one word in the Greek, which means, "God-breathed." When you speak - your word is "you-breathed" - your breath, conditioned by the shape of your mouth, the set of your lips, the state of your teeth. the size of your throat, the strength of your lungs, and even, in some parts of the globe, by the interference of your nose. All which is a figure-only, a figure, remember. GOD’s Word is God-breathed, through human instrumentality, conditioned by the shape and size and sort of the human medium. Whatever inspiration is, it does not abrogate the personality and peculiarity of the channel. It is always GOD’s breath, GOD’s Word, but shaped by man’s gifts and qualities - Moses and Amos are so utterly different, the style of Paul and John could never be mistaken for one another, yet each of these, and all of them, are but the vehicles of GOD’s voice, GOD’s message. That rather remarkable old book by Dr. L. Gaussen, called Theopneustia, puts it this way, "Whether they recite the mysteries of a past more ancient than the creation, or those of a future more remote than the coming again of the Son of Man, or the eternal counsels of the Most High, or the secrets of man’s heart, or the deep things of GOD - whether they describe their own emotions, or relate what they remember, or repeat contemporary narratives, or copy over genealogies, or make extracts from uninspired documents - ­their writing is inspired, their narratives are directed from above; it is always GOD Who speaks, Who relates, Who ordains or reveals by their mouth, and Who, in order to do this, employs their personality . . . They give their narratives, their doctrines, or their commandments, ’not with the words of man’s wisdom, but with the words taught by the Holy Ghost’." Or, to quote the more authoritative words of 2 Peter 1:21, "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved [borne along, like a ship before the wind] by the Holy Ghost." Here is the fact, however we may explain it; and here is the reason why this Book has such power with men, and for men. Then, too, (b) It is so widely profitable. It takes the believer in hand and guides all his footsteps, from start to finish. (i) His forward steps - "for doctrine." That is, his teaching: how to go on, how to progress, how to get built up, in the Christian faith. He will never make very great strides in the spiritual life unless he gets plenty of Bible Doctrine into him. (ii) His false steps - ­"for reproof." The Scripture is ever a true and faithful friend, and will not hesitate to point out our faults. Where necessary, it will unsparingly rake the conscience. Alas, how often we need it, on account of commission and omission. (iii) His faltering steps - "for correction." We shall here learn, not only how we have gone wrong, but how we may get right. As Psalms 119:9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto, according to Thy Word." If we are really desirous of the right way, and if we are fully prepared to tread it when we know it, the Book will set us right. "If any man will do [wills to do] His will, he shall know . . .", John 7:11. (iv) His first steps - "for instruction." The word is the one that would be used for the training of a child. As we have already seen in Timothy’s case, so is it for every believer: he shall, through this Book, learn his first lessons "in righteousness", in right living. For all these purposes is the Book highly "profit­able" - just for the simple reason that it is "given by inspiration of God." Moreover, (c) It is so perfectly effective. By "faith" he became "a child of GOD"; now he has grown into a "Man of God." How beautifully reminiscent is this phrase; what power it has to awaken a longing in our hearts. It may be a big thing to be a man of science, a man of business, a man of parts, a man of the world, a man of letters - oh, but what are these in comparison with being a man of GOD. In the light of eternal realities, who would not rather be a Moody than a Marconi, a Mary Slessor than a Madame Curie? How hauntingly beautiful is that testimony, in 2 Kings 4:9, "Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God that passeth by us continually." Something almost identical was said, in 1 Kings 17:24, about Elijah; but that was after he had raised the dead boy back to life. In Elisha’s case, it was before he had done any such thing. It was the simple impression of his holy and kindly behaviour that drew this tribute - and that, mark you, from his landlady! They have a rare instinct for discovering the truth about their lodgers, and the Shunammite was no exception. How one yearns that, as one moves in and out amongst people, the words might be used about oneself! I have been privileged to know a few about whom one would unhesitatingly use the words; but, for the moment, it is oneself that one is concerned about. Of course, I know that the phrase is a kind of official title; but the point is that evidently Elisha lived up to it - he was not only officially "a man of God," but spiritually "a holy man of God." See now what Paul promises his young "man of God" that the Bible shall accomplish for him. It is to make him "perfect", and also "throughly furnished." The word here translated "perfect" is not the usual one, and does not really imply what the English word suggests. Moreover, that rendered "throughly furnished" is the same word except for a certain prepositional suffix. I see that the late Dr. E. W. Bullinger has a most illuminating translation - he suggests "fitted" for the first word, and, allowing for the preposition, "fitted out" for the second. He elaborates his ideas (1) by an illustration from the way in which a joint is fitted to its socket - moving easily, painlessly, effectively. So, by the healthful ministrations of the Word, shall the "man" be exactly adjusted to his environment and circumstances: things may not always be pleasant, but he will always "fit in," knowing, as Romans 8:28 says, "that all things work together for good to them that love God." (2) A second illustration is from the way in which a ship is fitted out for a voyage - all that will be required for the journey is placed in-board, before the vessel noses her way out from the quayside. So, as the "man" sets forth upon the great ocean of "all good works", he sails with his All -in Supplies of the Scriptures­ - food, sword, mirror, lamp, what-not: all these will he find his Bible to be. In the precious volume, he is fully stocked for all eventualities of life and service. Considerations of space have forced us to give but a brief and cursory examination of what is a tremendous subject; but perhaps enough has been said to cause us to be little surprised that Paul, in considering the utmost welfare of his son Timothy, should advise him to become a thorough-going Bible man. I will only add, Et tu quoque! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 37: 02.14. 2TI 4:1-5 - PICTURE OF A PREACHER ======================================================================== Chapter Fourteen -- Picture of a Preacher 2 Timothy 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall Judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine: but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. I EXPECT you know your Pilgrim’s Progress, and will recall that after Pilgrim has passed through the Wicket Gate, and has thus really become a Christian, the very first thing that happens to him is a visit to Interpreter’s House. There is so much for him to learn if he is successfully to pursue his journey. And, again, what is the very first thing that is there shown him? He is taken into a room to look upon a picture that hangs on the wall - it is a picture of a preacher. As if John Bunyan would impress upon the new convert that, while he is to become many things, his first responsibility is to be, in some sense, a preacher. Call the presentment up to mind - "eyes lifted to Heaven; the best of books in his hand; the law of truth written upon his lips; the world was behind his back; it stood as if it pleaded with men; and a crown of gold did hang over his head." What a picture, what a guide, what an inspiration, to any preacher. He is not to be confined to any special class of people - any Christian, every Christian, is to be a preacher. Bunyan lived in an age which did not hold that. Indeed, it was because, though a lay­man, he would not quit preaching that he was thrown into prison. What a pity it is that preaching is held nowadays to be of such slight importance, how sad that there is so widespread a decay in preaching. Of course it is so if sermons are to be clipped to the miserable pittance of time that is allotted to them. Only the other day, a visiting preacher in my own pulpit apologised to me after the Service because he had been so long: he had been exactly fifteen minutes. So long! No wonder the life of Chris­tians tends to be so weak and flabby, no wonder the preaching is so largely innocuous - when the things of the soul, the things of eternity, the things of GOD, are treated with such flippant disrespect. Fortunately, there is one kind of preaching to which we may give plenty of time, namely, the preaching of the Lite. The famous preacher, Dr. Campbell Morgan, has four sons, all preachers. The story is told that, on one occasion, the whole of the family was at home when a friend called. They made room for him in the circle round the fireside. There at one end was the Doctor himself; at the other, Mrs. Morgan; in between, the four sons, and the friend. Presently, in the course of the conversation, the visitor turned to one of the sons and said, "Howard, who is the best preacher in your family?" All eyes turned in the Doctor’s direction, for it would certainly be he that would get the crown! But Howard surprised them all by looking to the opposite corner, and saying, as if there could be no second opinion, "Why, Mother, of course!" She was the one member of the family that wasn’t a preacher, and she was the best preacher of them all! It reminds one of the advice­ - the inspired advice - given in 1 Peter 3:1 to Christian wives who want to gain their husbands for CHRIST, advice which I will venture to paraphrase, "That, if any remain quite unmoved by preaching-lips, they may, altogether independently of all such preaching, be won by the preaching-lives of their wives." For good or ill, we are all preaching that way - some lives, alas, such poor sermons; some, thank GOD, such moving sermons. Pause with me one moment, my reader: what sort of preachers are we - you and I? However, it is lip-preaching that our apostle is dealing with in our present passage; and he is, as it were, taking his son Timothy into Mr. Interpreter’s House, and showing him a Picture of a Preacher. First to be considered is­: THE MANUAL OF HIS TEACHING "Preach the Word" - not his own ideas, not the sermons of other preachers, not the topical snippets of the daily newspapers, not the ill-digested scraps of knowledge, a little of which is such a dangerous thing: none of these things, but the Word, is to be his source of truth and instruction. In our last Study, Timothy was exhorted to be a thorough-going Bible man; here, his work is to be a thorough-going Bible ministry - "the Best of Books in his hand." Note (a) Its diligent use - "be instant, in season, out of season." There is a time to preach - at the appointed place in the service or meeting. Outside of such opportunities there are times when it seems suitable, appropriate, convenient, to speak the word. Few problems of Christian service are so difficult of solution as the decision about when to speak: we don’t want to antagonise people by speaking at the wrong moment, but neither do we want to become so exquisitely tactful that we never speak at all. Sometimes, in waiting for the "convenient season" (Acts 24:25), we may miss the chance altogether - the soul may pass on, or, at least, pass out of our reach. Do you not think it immensely important that we should every morning make it our very serious and earnest prayer that the MASTER would show us during that day if there is someone crossing our path whom we should speak to for Him, and that, whether it seem "in season, out of season" to us, we may be on the alert, "be instant", to do it. Then see (b) Its diverse uses - "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." We spoke a good deal about these things in a previous Lecture, so it will be necessary here only to say a word or two. "Reprove" is, as in John 16:8, "convict" - show them they have done wrong; then "rebuke" - show them how wrong they were to do wrong; after that, "exhort"­ show them that they must put the wrong right, and not do the wrong again. It is with the giving of the Word to them that they are to see these things - not all at once maybe, not without some rebelliousness and opposition; the preacher will have need of "longsuffering" patience in his teaching work. By the way, the word "preach" here does not mean to preach the gospel. That word occurs later in our section; but in this verse it is a more general term. This particular phrase is used in 1 Peter 3:19, where it says that the SAVIOUR "went and preached unto the spirits in prison", on which we must not base the suggestion that people have another chance of salvation after death. It is not the word for preaching the gospel; the implication is that the MASTER went to make a pronouncement to those particular "spirits" who died in Noah’s time. There is no suggestion of a second chance, either in that passage, or anywhere else that I can see: by the time men reach the beyond, "there is a gulf fixed . . . neither can they pass to us that would come from thence", Luke 16:26. Well, there are many diverse uses of the Word, which they who preach it, or who in any way seek to pass it on, will diligently employ. This Word is his manual of teaching. Now see­ THE RESPONSE OF HIS CONGREGATION I am afraid that, like many another preacher, this Timothy is going to have many a disappointment, many a heartache, for, it seems (a) They will refuse what they need - (i) "They will not endure sound doctrine"; but that is the very thing they need so badly. Nothing is so calculated to produce a flabby Christian life and character as the absence of spiritual Vitamins, the lack of good, solid, sound teaching in the things of GOD; but they just won’t have it, they are bored with it, they will not "endure" it. (ii) "They shall turn away their ears from the truth" - again a sheer necessity of their spiritual welfare; but the truth may be very unpalatable, very awkward, and so quite unwelcome. There is not much to be expected from a congregation that deals thus with doctrine and with truth - all you can expect is the very lowest level of behaviour. On the other hand, (b) They will receive what they like - not the truth of things, but their own prejudices and preferences will dictate what preaching, and what preachers, are acceptable. (i) "After their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers" - teachers "to suit themselves," is Moffatt’s rendering; never mind whether their message is Truth or not. (ii) "Having itching ears" - anything to tickle their own fancies, anything novel and exciting. (iii) "Shall be turned unto fables" - myths, as the word is. It is amazing what unbelievers will believe; how many prefer myth to truth. Thank GOD, in the words of 2 Peter 1:16, "we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses . . ." Ah yes, "the law of truth written upon his lips." It seems a poor look-out for preachers; but let them remember that it is (i) Not yet like this - "the time will come"; but things aren’t as bad yet. Let Timothy, let every preacher, let every Christian, employ himself faithfully and busily while opportunity remains for getting the Word home. Moreover, it is (ii) Not all like this. The Master’s parable of the soils - that is, the response of the congregation, still remains true. There is much disappoint­ment; but it is not all disappointment. In one part of the congregation the Word sown gets no further than the surface. It might have sunk in, if left alone; but, as soon as the service was over, people started talking about the weather, or the news, or the hats-such" birds of the air" whisked away the seed. Another section seemed to promise better results; but the sight of a bit of difficulty or opposition quickly showed that there was no real work done. A third company among the hearers were so worldly-minded that, even when there did seem some hope, the good was soon choked. All very disappointing I But, wait a moment, we haven’t finished yet. There was still a fourth class in the congregation, which happily proved itself to be good ground: the preacher’s work was not all in vain - let him be faithful, and he will be sure to be fruitful, somewhere, somewhen, somehow. The response will not be all bad. Look next at­ THE DEMANDS OF HIS WORK In Christian service it is what costs most that counts most; and Paul’s preacher must give due weight and consideration to that truth. Note in this passage that word (i) "Longsuffering" ­he will meet with much that will try his patience, he will have a lot to put up with. And (ii) "Watch" - the word means "sober"; there is to be an ever constant alertness, rather than the slumberous inertness of the drunken; he must ever be on the look-out, with all the strain involved. And (iii) "Endure" - he will run up against prejudice, and ridicule, and opposition, and, what is hardest to bear of all, blank indifference. No, it’s not going to be easy. Of course there is a type of Christian worker who finds that his accepted task makes little demand upon him. Perhaps he has consented to take up a Sunday-school class, but his preparation of the Lesson is, week by week, very scanty; he doesn’t take the work really seriously; his scholars are not on his heart; he never spends himself in prayer for them; it all costs him practically nothing; he never gets tired through it, though he may perhaps quickly grow tired of it, and give it up. That is the best thing he could do, in the circumstances. The teacher who is to be encouraged to stick to the task is the one who throws his whole self into it, who gets worn out, to whom it means real self-sacrifice. Such a teacher, such a preacher, such a worker, will accomplish something for GOD. The really earnest preacher’s life is never an easy one (i) He has his own particular temptations - some specifically arising out of success; others, quite different, coming from failure. Either way, if he is accomplishing anything for GOD, the devil will be at him. (ii) He is the cynosure of many eyes - some who may watch him with love and gratitude, to whom his every word and action are of weight, and whom he must not "let down"; others, highly critical, on the look-out for any inconsistency. (iii) He has an exacting work to do - it will call out all that is in him, if it is to be effective. Timothy is urged, "make full proof of thy ministry" - full proof, yes; for it isn’t fool-proof. (iv) He carries a heavy responsibility - "they watch for your souls, as they that must give account," as Hebrews 13:17 says. Don’t forget to pray much for your own minister; and, even if he is not perfect, at least remind yourself that "the Lord is with them that uphold my soul" (Psalms 54:4), and pray that he may ever have a blessed sense of that Presence. Indeed it is true that if we are to "preach the Word," we must be prepared to face up to the demands of the work, and deliberately to turn away from everything that would hinder the freest and fullest exercise of that ministry - yes, "the world was behind his back"; and his "eyes lifted to Heaven." But now observe­ THE JOY OF HIS MESSAGE It is not all joy. He has stern things to say, sad things, challenging things, accusing things, severe things - yes, but the balance lies on the other side; he has such glad things to say. His main business is to preach the Gospel - he is to "do the work of an evangelist." What joy is in that message; what joy he will have in proclaiming it; what joy he will get in seeing its great results. What is the message, the evangel that he is to proclaim? There are few places where it is so succinctly put as in John 3:16, which we were touching on a little while back; look: at it again, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." There is, as has been said, "the Gospel in a nutshell." We must begin by saying that (a) It is bad news - it implies that, apart from it, we are on the way to "perish." It is no part of the Gospel to leave a man under the fond delusion that he is a very good sort, and in fine fettle, and that he has only got to go on doing his best and he’ll fairly romp home to Heaven. It will not do to go to our unconverted friends and confine our message to the delightful truth that it’s such a jolly thing to be a Christian, and so on. Some of us have tried that message, and so far as it goes, it is true; but it doesn’t go deep enough; it is the kind of thing that to GOD’s displeasure, will "heal the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly . . .", as Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11 record. Rather must the preacher of the Word tell the soul his real condition, as in the sight of GOD, and his real peril, as in the light of Eternity. If he would awaken a desire for salvation, he must, almost always, first arouse a consciousness of the need of it. I say "almost always" because there are cases which have come to real salvation without any sense of sin: in such, that realisation has come afterwards. But even these must acknowledge their sinnership, although they do not feel it. "Perish": yes, it is a dread word, an unpopular word, almost a banished word - but we must begin there. So quickly, however, we shall discover that (b) It is good news - the Gospel lets us know that (i) GOD loves - "God so loved"; that (ii) GOD gives - "that He gave His only begotten Son", gave Him up to the death of the Cross; that (iii) GOD invites­, "that whosoever believeth on Him," an invitation issued so widespread that anybody, everybody, who wishes may come and rest the whole weight of their trust on Him; that (iv) GOD saves - "have everlasting life." This sinful man who naturally, normally, inevitably, eternally, must "perish" may be gloriously rescued from any such fate. The whole aspect of his eternal future is transfigured, and the whole course of his life here is altered - that, while he remains here, being now "saved" him­self, he may henceforth give himself, and spend himself, in passing on the Good News, to the "saving" of others. He is at once, and at all costs, to follow Timothy, and "do the work of an evangelist". For it may further be said about this glorious Gospel, this wonderful evangel, that (c) It is front-page news - not to be set down in some quiet, obscure corner of the News of the World. The Gospel is the outcome of the death and resurrection of the LORD JESUS, and concerning this, Paul says, in Acts 26:26, "This thing was not done in a corner": then let not the news of it be hidden in a corner, give it front-page prominence. Our verse says" the world": then let the world have it, blazen it forth! When Paul, in Galatians 3:1, says, "before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you", he uses a word, translated "evidently set forth", whose significance is, openly placarded. The crucified and risen LORD concerns the "world" - then, tell the World! So we have the picture of the preacher again "as if it pleaded with men." And now let us turn to a contemplation of­ THE BACKGROUND OF HIS LIFE All this while we have been talking about verses 2 Timothy 4:2-5 of our passage, and we haven’t said a word about verse 2 Timothy 4:1. Well, look at it now: it is like the back-cloth on the stage, in front of which all the action takes place, in the light of which all the story is to be conceived. See here (a) A searching scrutiny - "before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ." The exhortation is given, the undertaking is to be discharged, as in His sight. Timothy’s ministry is to be exercised; as ours is, not in the light of men’s praise or blame, but His. What would the MASTER do, what will the MASTER think? That is the touchstone. There is also here the thought of (b) A serious examination - "Who shall judge." We Christians should ever remember that, on a certain day in GOD’s Diary, we are all to come forward for examination, when, for merit or demerit, our service is to be judged. The serious event is partially described for us in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 - one of the passages which all believers should learn off by heart. Suffice It here only to notice that upon the sole Foundation which is laid, which is CHRIST JESUS, there are three kinds of builders. One of the things which the examination will reveal will be which class we belong to (i) Idle builders - "If any man build upon this foundation" the "if" leaving open the possibility of some people not building at all. They are Christians, because the Foundation has been laid, nothing can ever alter that; but they have never done any service for Him, never said a word for Him. (ii) Jerry builders - "build . . . wood, hay, stubble." No one can say that they have done nothing; but it has been pretty poor stuff. Since the Foundation was laid, they have put in work for Him, but it has been shoddy work: the test of the fire will quickly reveal its true nature, and will burn it up. He himself will be saved, because the Foundation has been laid; but there remains no result of his life. As we saw earlier in this Lecture, it cost him nothing, so now, of course, it avails him nothing. (iii) Successful builders - "build . . . gold, silver, precious stones." Their work was costly, as these; it was, in GOD’s eyes, valuable, as these. The fire of testing will not harm this quality of service: gold, silver, precious stones, are all refined, and improved, by fire. And note that "the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is" - not size, but sort; it is not the quantity, but the quality, that matters. Let Timothy, let all of us, have the remembrance of this examination always in mind. Meanwhile, we approach ever nearer (c) A solemn moment - ­"His appearing." The word is used in 2 Timothy 2:10 of this Epistle in connection with His first Advent; here it relates to the Second Coming. The word is "epiphany." In Titus 2:11-13 we find it in both meanings - "appeared . . . appearing": the Epiphany of Grace, and the Epiphany of Glory. Dr. Plummer calls them "the two great limits of the Christian dispensation." For the faithful servant, what a grand and glorious event and experience this will be. The preacher of the word, the proclaimer of the evangel, is advised to have this as the background of his life - that He is patiently watching, that He is presently judging, that He is personally coming: what a background for our service, what an incentive for our service. As with John Bunyan’s preacher, "a crown of gold did hang over his head." We shall have much to say about that crown in the next Lecture. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 38: 02.15. 2TI 4:6-8 - AT THE END OF THE ROAD ======================================================================== Chapter Fifteen -- At the End of the Road 2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge. shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. HERE is one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament, and one of the most exhilarating. As he dictates it to his amanu­ensis, Paul is, in very truth, at the end of the road. He began on the Damascus Road over thirty years ago: that time when, in all his pride and prejudice, he was suddenly, even dramatically, arrested, and humbled to the very dust, and converted, and commissioned. What a day that was! He could never forget it; he never tired of telling the story - three times over we have it, within the brief compass of the Acts. How he would have sung our hymn, "O happy day that fixed my choice." I wonder if you, my reader, have a "day" - a definite time of conversion to GOD, of trusting on CHRIST, on which you can put your finger and say "That is when it happened"? If so, it will often help to refresh your spirit, and renew your devotion, to go back to it in grateful recollection, and perhaps tell others how "the great transaction" took place. If you can’t put your finger on a specific day, never mind, so long as you know you are on the Road. There are many real Christians, treading the Way Heaven­ward, who cannot tell you when they started: they only know that, by the grace of GOD, they are on it. Or, rather, on Him; for He said, didn’t He, "I am the Way . . ." - John 14:6. For Paul, anyhow, the beginning was so clear and clean-cut; and so now is THE CLOSE He is evidently quite conscious that the end is approaching. The "I" here is emphatic; it supplies the reason why Timothy is now, in a particular way, to "watch . . . endure . . . do . . . make . . ." as in the previous verse, "for I am now ready to be offered." Up till now the Ephesian Christians, and Timothy himself, have been able to turn to Paul for comfort, and guidance, and help; but the apostle is now to be taken from them, Timothy must brace himself and step into the lead. "Moses, My servant, is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan," Joshua 1:2; "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha", 2 Kings 2:15. Joshua, Elisha - great successors of the great; Timothy is to be another of them. How does Paul view his end? First (a) As the Offering - "I am now ready to be offered." In Php 2:17 it had been hypothetical, "if I be offered"; now it is actual, "I am being offered." The picture is of the drink-offering being poured forth, in the Mosaic economy, over the sacrifice, a libation of wine. With Romans 12:1 in mind we can, I think, say that his life has been the sacrifice, the "living sacrifice," and now his death, the outpouring of his blood in martyrdom, is the drink-­offering, setting the final seal upon the whole burnt-offering of his sacrificial life. He was not only ready to suffer but proud to die, for such a MASTER and for such a Cause. It reminds one of Browning’s young soldier who came flying from the battlefield to report to Napoleon the victory at Hatisbon. Wounded, but eager, he brought the glad news, and then the Emperor noticed his wounds: "You’re wounded!" "Nay," the soldier’s pride Touched to the quick, he said: "I’m killed, Sire!" And his chief beside, Smiling the boy fell dead. Wounds, he felt, were but second-rate honours: he craved the highest, and must needs give his utmost. So was it with Paul, who longed to go the whole length - not mere wounds, but sheer death. That is one way that he looks at his coming death. Second (b) As the Departure - the "unloosing," as the word literally means. This is a most interesting word, and most illuminating. It may be said to have at least five connotations, each of them throwing a flood-light on death. (i) It is a prisoner’s word - ­meaning his "release." What especial comfort that would bring to Paul, shut up as he is in that foul Roman dungeon: he is about to be let loose. It carries that thought also to us who are imprisoned within this mortal body, and who that day will be set free from all its restrictions and disabilities. (ii) It is a farmer’s word - and would signify the "unyoking" of an ox, when its long hard day’s work was done. Paul had ploughed a toilsome furrow all through his life’s long day, and now comes rest. A thing that we too shall greatly esteem if our life has been strenuously occupied in GOD’s service. (iii) It is a warrior’s word - the encampment has been pitched here, and a fierce battle joined; now that is victoriously over, he strikes his tent, "un­loosing" its cords and stakes, and is on the march again to the last great conquest of the campaign. How true of the battle-­scarred old veteran who pens the words, and of all who follow In his steps. (iv) It is a seaman’s word - and would be used for the "unmooring" of a ship that has been tied up to the quayside, and which must now put to sea again. In Paul’s case, and in ours, it is the setting sail upon the ocean of our last voyage, Our vessel Homeward Bound. (v) It is a philosopher’s word - sug­gesting the "unraveling" of a knotty problem. How many puzzles have agitated our minds, and disturbed our hearts, while we have pondered upon our life here, and its mysteries; "but then shall I know even as also I am known," as Paul himself said in 1 Corinthians 13:12. How utterly grand to have all our questions satisfyingly answered. Well now, our "departure" implies all this - and more, much more, besides. It is true, of course, that Death is an intensely solemn thing - that comes out in Paul’s first figure of the "outpouring"; but, looked at in this second way, it is an unimaginably glorious thing. It would appear to be no exaggeration to say that, for the believer, the very best thing that can happen to him is to die. In fact, now I come to think of it, Paul himself says that very thing, in Php 1:23, " . . . to depart, and to be with CHRIST . . . is far better." For ourselves, let us not be anything else than happy in the thought of our departure. Of course, if the LORD were to come first, we should not have to pass through the grave at all, "we which are alive . . . shall be caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air", as 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says - no death, no coffin, no grave, no tombstone, no epitaph! But, even if we do die, let us look on it as our "departure", and rejoice accord­ingly. Sadness, perhaps, for loved ones left behind to miss us, but for ourselves only gladness. Paul reminds his son Timothy that his time for that is "at hand." It is only natural that he should, at that point, turn retrospectively to look at the days that are past; and so, next he speaks of­ THE COURSE Here, once again, the heart of the old sportsman peeps out: he turns to the field of athletics, as he has so often done, for illustrations of his life. If he had lived in modern times, I am sure he would have been, like myself, a member of the Surrey County Cricket Club; and if I had chanced to sit near him in the pavilion at the Oval, I feel certain I should have found him, every now and then, making a note on the back of an old envelope, as he saw something in the game that he could use to enforce a spiritual truth. We preachers would be much more interesting and impressive if we were more alert to see, in common happen­ings and things, pictures of deeper concerns. Paul was expert at that; and first it is (a) The Wrestling - "I have fought a good fight." Most of the scholars think that it is this that he is referring to here rather than to soldiering. When he uses that word "good", I do not imagine he means that he has fought well, but that it has been a well-worth-while fight, a struggle that called forth a man’s worthiest and best. There are some causes that we would scorn to take our coats off for; but the cause of GOD is great enough, and "good" enough, for us all, and for our all. What a wrestle his whole life had been! Con­stantly he had wrestled with circumstances - hardship; and loss, and suffering, and shipwreck; but "in all these things we are more than conquerors", he avers, in Romans 8:37. If only we also could learn "through Him" to triumph over our circum­stances, what a difference it would make - both to our experience and to our influence. How, too, he had wrestled with enemies­ - they had dogged him at every step, plotting against his very life; but at every turn he had proved victorious. If you had spoken with him about his struggles, I am sure he would have referred you to a deeper antagonism, even as he had reminded the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:12) that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." When a believer is "all-out" for GOD, he is bound, sooner or later, to have to do battle with evil powers. For Paul, the fight was now done. For further illustration he turns to (b) The Racing - "I have finished my course." The running-track had provided him with many a lesson. One of the completest New Testament references is in that Hebrews 12:1, which, though it is the fashion now to hold as not written by him, is yet so thoroughly Pauline in tone and expression, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus . . ." Quite a number of tips are offered us. (i) Keep the weight down -­ for "weight" in this verse is, as we indicated in an earlier Lecture, a medical term, and the phrase would seem to say, "let us get rid of every ounce of superfluous flesh", which is just what an athlete would try to do. Its spiritual significance is, of course, that we should become smaller - less and less of self! (ii) Keep the limbs free - "the sin which doth so easily beset us" which doth so closely wrap us round, as it means, like some impeding garment that gets in the way of free movement. You can’t run in an overcoat. Well, yes, you can; I have done it myself - ­and then I missed it! But you can’t run well - and it is good running that the Bible is concerned with; it is not interested in jog-trotting. How many a Christian is slowed down in the race because of some besetting sin that clings to them; they never will be able to run all-out until they have learned to throw this off. (iii) Keep the eyes right - "looking unto Jesus." It is strange how important the eyes are in athletic affairs: boxing, cricket, golf, and so many others; and even in racing. I think, with sadness, of the silver cup that isn’t on my study mantel­ piece! It ought to have been; but, leading near the tape, I heard someone coming up fast behind me, and foolishly I turned my head to get a glimpse of my antagonist. In that split second he flashed by. If only I had kept my eyes right! Now I have left only the pathetic picture of the cup that isn’t there! Proverbs 4:25 is a fine piece of advice for the Christian racer "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." Never mind about other people. Peter asks, in John 21:21, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" and gets his Master’s answer, "What is that to thee? Follow thou Me." Eyes off all other people: eyes on Him, "the Author and Finisher of our faith," Who was at the start of our race, and now waits at the end of it, watching for us to come in - eyes on Him. (iv) Keep the race going - "run with patience." As we saw in an earlier Lecture, this is not a sprint, but a long-distance race, and we are to go on and on, plodding along the track, yard after yard, year after year. "Let us go on . . .," says Hebrews 6:1. Paul had now been at it for more than thirty years, and will not finally cease until he breasts the tape. In his charge to the very Ephesians over whom Timothy had the oversight, he had said, in Acts 20:24, " . . . that I might finish my course with joy"; and now he is almost home. It has been, as it will be for us all who would be "GOD’s athletes", a set course - for GOD Himself has chosen our path, and marked out the way wherein we shall go; - it is, as we have said, a long course - whose finish may be yet far off, but may be just round the bend; - it is a strenuous course - with plenty of opposition, and an abundance of diffi­culties: it may indeed, for that very reason, be thought of as something of an Obstacle Race. Such is "the race that is set before us." Paul had so magnificently sped along the whole length, and will at any moment now triumphantly finish; and out of all his experience this Old Athlete would say to those who are following on the same track, to Timothy, and to all others, what he counselled the Corinthian believers (1 Corinthians 9:24), "so run, that ye may obtain." There is a prize to be won, of which we shall speak presently. But first there is a third illustration of the truly successful Christian life, (c) The Safe-guarding - "I have kept the faith." It is as if some valuable thing had been entrusted to your care for delivery to someone on the other side of the world. You had it carefully wrapped, and secretly strapped about your person; you met professional thieves on the ship going across, you en­countered fierce robbers on the roads; but you managed to keep your treasure intact and at last, with utmost relief and joy, you arrived at your destination, and handed the thing over to the one to whom it belonged. So, as Jude 1:3 has it, "ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Paul had done that pre-eminently. On his journey he has frequently been, as he says in 2 Corinthians 11:26, "in perils of robbers," who in the spiritual sense as well as in the material, have sought to despoil him of his treasure, and to damage his "trust"; but now he is at the end of the voyage, and is able thankfully to deliver up his treasure, to hand it on, unmarred. In 2 Timothy 3:8, he had told Timothy about those who were "reprobate concerning the faith." He is thankful beyond measure that it has been so different in his own case; for here, we repeat, is no wrongful boasting - as we have previously noted, in 1 Corinthians 15:10, he would ascribe all that he might have become, all that he had ever done, to the mighty "grace" of GOD. He has seen that, as his spur and secret, all along the Course of his eventful life, and now he comes to -­ THE CROWN At the conclusion of our last Study we promised that we should have much to say about the crown; and here it is, discussed in some detail in this eighth verse of our present passage. And first we will take note of what I shall describe as (a) The display of the prizes - "Henceforth there is laid up for me." At the Greek games, of which Paul is still thinking, there would be displayed, in some public spot, the prizes to be awarded to the successful entrants - spectators and competitors alike might view them, in the one case with interest, in the other with hope. They would not be silver cups, as with us, but only wreaths of pine or laurel; yet what high value was set upon acquiring them. Not only were the athletes themselves honoured, but even the cities from which they came; when the conquering hero returned home with his Wreathed Crown, there was given him a procession and a reception. I remember visiting a certain school on Sports Day and walking with my boyhood friend around the field before any of the events had begun. Up in one corner was a tent, outside which was a policeman. On going inside, we found a second constable. Ah, but, you see, on a table were set out the prizes for that after­noon’s competitions - and these guardians of the law were responsible for their safety. There were the prizes safely "laid up" - for whom? Well, I can only say that my young friend pointed out one cup to me, with its little card attached, and said, "That’s what I’m after!" I am happy to relate that he got it. My point here is that there it was, safely "laid up" for him, until the time of his receiving it. Thus is there also laid up, and with infallible security, the rewards in Heaven for all who "run well." We cannot see them with the eyes of flesh; but our hearts can joyfully and thankfully contemplate this "goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee", as Psalms 31:19 says. I know there are some high-minded Chris­tians who think nothing of rewards, who just "do right, because it is right." But I am bound to confess that, like Paul (alas, it is the only thing in which I can claim to resemble him) I covet my reward that GOD’s grace can, of His goodness, devise for so ordinary a performer. I should frankly rejoice if I could think that there is any reward "laid up for me." Now let us consider (b) The character of the prizes - "a crown of righteousness." I suppose we shall be right In saying two things about these prizes: (i) They are for righteous people - those who have the "imputed" righteousness of CHRIST, that is to say, all true believers. If we are not Christians, we have not even entered the race, and are certainly not entitled to the prize. (ii) They are for righteous lives - those who, having first become Christians, "by faith in Christ Jesus," then devote what remains of their lives to His service and His honour. Moffatt’s translation of the phrase puts it, I think, exactly: he has "the crown of a good life." To have Life - is not a reward for our merit, but a gift of GOD’s grace; to live Good Lives - is to be eligible for a reward. Yet even this is not strictly a reward for our earning; if we do well, we have not really become entitled to reward, "when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do," Luke 17:10. I so well remember, many years ago, being appointed to supervise the "Little Its’ Race" at a Children’s Special Service Mission Birthday Sports. I gave the wee people their handicaps - all, of course, sheer guesswork; and one Delectable Dumpling I placed well in front of the rest, for she could only toddle - or waddle. I then explained the rules, and gave the word "Go!" I greatly hope that the Governing Body of the Athletic Association will not, at this distance of time, declare the decision of the race void when I confess that, besides tieing the starter, I also myself ran with the competitors­ running backwards in front of my little friend, luring her on to catch me! The result was that she won the race, although she was really too young to realise what was happening. Surprised by all the clapping and cheering, she looked up at me and said, "What has me done?" Ah, my friend, if, at the end of the race, you receive the plaudits of the MASTER, and a prize at His hands, know that you will say, "But, LORD, what have I done?" You will realise that you haven’t deserved, or earned, a prize, and will only be amazedly thankful that, in spite of that, He has awarded you one. Think, just a moment, of (c) The Giver of the prizes - "the Lord, the righteous judge." You see, Paul has had, will have, to appear before Nero, the unrighteous judge - he knows, to his bitter cost, what that means; he is not unprepared to receive at his unjust hands the sentence of a cruel death. But he has a reward to look forward to that he is to receive at the hands of another - a Judge, inescapably just, almost unbelievably generous. Don’t you think it makes some subtle difference, at any prize­ distribution function, who gives them away? There are some people we could all name, from whose hands it would be an added honour to get our prize. But what shall be said of our being rewarded by the Wonderful Wounded hands of the Living LORD? Now come to (d) The day of the prizes - "at that day." When we were dealing with 2 Timothy 2:5, and the word "crowned", we called attention to "the prize of the high calling" in Php 3:14, as being the "upward" calling: the ceremony, at the end of the Games, of being called to go upward to the Grand Stand to receive the prizes. An illustration of "that day", referred to again in our present passage, when we shall be called up, "caught up," as 1 Thessalonians 4:17 has it, for one thing, for those who have won prizes to get them. What a grand day is any Prize Day; but was any such like this one that is to be? What a thrill to see the famous veterans of the track file up to get their crowns; yes, and what a thrill to see all the humbler runners, too. What a tragedy if, readers and writer, any of us should be missing from that list - in Heaven, because that doesn’t depend on the quality of our running; but no reward. A place; but no prize. Well, look lastly at (e) The winners of the prizes - "not. . . me only, but . . . all them also that love His appearing." Why so? Because, if we have set our heart on His appearing, it will so affect our Christian life and service that we shall qualify for the prizes He will then distribute; the thought of meeting Him will put that something extra into our Wrestling, our Racing, and our Safe-guarding, which will render them so successful as to be rewarded. So it is pertinent to enquire, are we thus eagerly looking forward to His return? The great and profound scholar, Dr. Alfred Plummer, has written, "Are our hearts longing for CHRIST’S return? Or, are we dreading it, because we know that we are not fit to meet Him, and are making no attempt to become so?" It is a very solemn, and important, question; and it is very evident from our verse that "Prize, or No prize" depends upon our answer. And now, enough about prizes. As I have indicated, I set great store upon them. I am not going to be so foolish as to affect to despise what the MASTER, and the Scriptures, speak about so much; I am not going to attempt to be so superior to Paul as to think lightly of what he thought of so highly. Yes; and yes, again. But I want to finish on another note. Do you remember those lines of the old hymn­ "The bride eyes not her garment, But her dear bridegroom’s face. I will not gaze at glory, But on my King of grace. Not at the crown He giveth, But on His pierced hand: The Lamb is all the glory Of Immanuel’s land," After all, no it will utterly satisfy in "that day", however beautiful, and however wonderful it may be - no, no it; but only He. So our last word from the passage is not of the Prize and its arrival, but of the Person and "His appearing." I don’t think I can write any more about that: I just want to put down my pen - and think, and pray. Will you join me? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 39: 02.16. 2TI 4:9-12 - SNAPSHOTS OF SIX SOLDIERS ======================================================================== Chapter Sixteen -- Snapshots of Six Soldiers 2 Timothy 4:9-12 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia, Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. THE old warrior has now definitely retired, and has here been writing to his young fellow soldier - a word he actually uses of Archippus in Philemon 1:2 - exhorting him to acquit himself well in warfare, "endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ", (2 Timothy 2:3). And now, as he finishes up his letter to him, he mentions some of the other soldiers who have shared in the campaign - as it were, he encloses a few snapshots, which Timothy will love to see. We, too, will perhaps be interested to take a look at them. Here’s the first; but - what is this written on the back? A BASE DESERTER "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica." That had possibly been coming on for a long while. In Philemon 1:24, Paul had said, "Demas . . . my fellow-labourer" - as if he had shared as fully as any of the others in the work; but in Colossians 4:14 he wrote, " . . . and Demas" - with no added encomium, or remark of any kind, as if, according to Dr. James Spence, "he was beginning to suspect him, to mark worldliness creeping over his spirit." Ah yes (a) A worldly spirit - what damage that has done to Christians, and to the Church. I wonder what form it took with Demas? I wonder if John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is right in holding that it was money? You remember the incident of the silver mine. Of course this spirit manifests itself in many ways. Some­times it is, as Bunyan suggests (i) Possessions - a lust to get, a policy of grab. Many an earnest believer, beginning to get rich, has been spiritually ruined in this way. Money in itself is not wrong - many wealthy people have been outstandingly godly; but money ill-gotten is "filthy lucre" (Titus 1:11), and money loved is "the root of all evil", 1 Timothy 6:10. It is the believer’s wisdom to be on his guard about this. (ii) Pleasure­ - how reasonable a thing, to be sure; but how ruinous it can become. It makes for good health, both physical and spiritual, to allow room for relaxation and enjoyment; one of the rare aids to poise and balance is a capacity for fun. Yet, how com­pletely it can run away with us, If we are not careful. We may, think, legitimately enjoy our pleasures provided they are of the right kind, at the right time, and in the right proportion. (iii) Popularity - it is nice to be popular; it may, indeed, be a help in our Christian service if we are popular; but what a snare! Many a Christian has done wrong things, has left undone right things, because of the fear of losing a too-much prized popularity. After all, it is not what "they" will think, but what He will. (iv) Pride - a thing peculiarly ugly in a believer, but which a worldly spirit will so readily engender. (v) Present life - the habit of looking at things from the viewpoint of the present. It is really surprising how many Christians have acquired this "squint". You can understand it in the worldling; but it is dreadfully out of place in a believer. It was because he restricted his vision to what was "under the sun" that Ecclesiastes found himself in such perplexity. You will observe that this worldly spirit in Demas was accom­panied by (b) A cowardly spirit - he "departed"! The Greek word is an entirely different one from that which we studied in verse 6 last time. There was nothing splendid, ennobling, enrich­ing, about this man’s going. (i) Why did he go? Well, the persecution of Christians was in the air; to have abode with Paul, to have been known as one of them, was to court trouble; better go while the going was good. So he "departed" from Rome. (ii) Where did he go? To Thessalonica, where was a body of believers. That, to my mind, indicates that Demas had no intention of ceasing to be a Christian: all he proposed to himself was that he should no longer be an out-and-out Christian. Yet, did he but know it, he was letting himself in for a very uncomfortable time by going there of all places; for at Thessa­lonica the Christians were very keen; and, besides, they were great friends of Paul’s. We have only to read between the lines of I and 2 Thessalonians to discover both those facts. But, then, a half-hearted Christian always will be uncomfortable wherever he is. Like a man with a headache, who doesn’t want to lose his head, but it hurts him to keep it; so this Christian doesn’t want to lose his religion, but it hurts him to keep it. Thus wrote H. W. S. in The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life. Dr. Alexander Maclaren’s summing up of Demas is, "He was a religious man who had not religion enough to resist the constant attractions and seductions of the present." I will only add that, through the hole made in his consecration, his courage also leaked away. But enough; let’s look at another "snap": what does it say? Oh yes - ONE OF THE RANK AND FILE "Crescens to Galatia." Never heard of him! No; he was only a private, only an ordinary soldier; but here he is, Mentioned in Despatches. (a) How much GOD’s cause is advanced by ordinary, unknown people. I was so struck the other day, in reading Hebrews 11:1-40, to notice how, after the recital of those great and ever-glorious names, there follow "and others" (verse Hebrews 11:35), "and others" (verse Hebrews 11:36) - just anonymous heroes of the faith. Or, think of the prestige and powers of that distin­guished company in 1 Corinthians 12:28, "GOD hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings . . . govern­ments, diversities of tongues." An important group: but what have ordinary folk to do with such? There seems little room for us among them. But wait: that vacant place we have left in the list is occupied in the text by "helps." Why, the rank and file can be that! Have you ever heard of Hanani? No? You have heard of Nehemiah, then? Yes; but you wouldn’t have done if it had not been for Hanan1:It was he that lit the dame in the famous man’s heart: Nehemiah was a Torch, a flame for GOD, but Hanani was the Match that lit the Torch. Who was Edward Kimball? You don’t know? Of course not: he was only a shoemaker, and a humble Sunday-school teacher. He, too, was a Match; and his Torch was D. L. Moody! Maria Millis, whom I am sure you have never heard of, was another. She was an old-fashioned family nurse. She loved GOD; and she loved the little boy, Ashley, in her charge. In his heart she planted the seed, and tended it. You have not heard of her, but you have heard of him - Lord Shaftesbury! (b) How many such have advanced the cause. Crescens was that sort, one of the rank and file. Now, another "snap": this is inscribed A DISTINGUISHED OFFICER "Titus unto Dalmatia." This was no ordinary man. (a) He was a leader. We, badly need such: those who, in the church, or in the home, or in the office, or in the workshop, or in any group, will set the tone, give a lead, in a nice, clean, healthy, strong, wise, godly, direction. No need, here, to be for ever "preach­ing": just a touch, a word, a look, an attitude. Let us not leave leadership to the devil and his agents. Titus had an exalted sphere for his leadership, he was Bishop of Crete; we may exercise ours in humbler realms - but let us, wherever we be, take pains that we lead life in right, and in Christian, channels. The secret of Titus’ successful leadership was (b) He was led. Joshua became Moses’ successor, because he had been such a success as "Moses’ minister" (Joshua 1:1); he led so well, because he had learned to follow. Mark how Titus was led, and you will not be surprised that he was a leader. (i) First, he was led to CHRIST. Paul did that for him (Titus 1:4) as he did for Timothy, 1 Timothy 1:2. (ii) Then, he was led for CHRIST. The apostle followed up the work of grace in his heart, nurturing him for the MASTER, and leading him on in His service. The Epistle to Titus is part of the wonderful preparation he gave him for his task. (iii) And so, he was led by CHRIST into all kinds of service, and into rich depths of spiritual experience. It was with Titus, as it would be for any, that because he followed so closely, he led so well. It is a pity we have to hurry over these pictures, that there is so little space to enlarge on them; but, after all, they are only snapshots. Well, pick up another: what’s this it says? - THE M.O. "Only Luke is with me." Do you remember (a) When he first joined the Army? It seems to have been at Troas, where Dr. Luke had a General Practice. If we may try to reconstruct the scene: one day he was called out to see a patient, a visitor to the town, who had been taken ill. It was a man named Paul. When the doctor got to the house where he had taken lodgings, he found the man feverish and shaking and pretty bad. He quickly diagnosed malaria; and we can well imagine what this meant to this restless, tireless, man. It troubled him all his life; for this was, I think, following Sir William Ramsay as I do, the "thorn in the flesh" from which he was never freed, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. However, as always happens to the true Chris­tian’s circumstances (Romans 8:28) the LORD overruled this attack for his good: it brought Dr. Luke to Paul, and Paul brought Dr. Luke to CHRIST. Thus the good doctor enlisted in the Army of the LORD, and was a member of the Expeditionary Force that embarked upon the Macedonian Campaign. Note the "we" of Acts 16:10. See (b) What he contributed to the campaign - pre-eminently, of course, his medical gifts, for he was the M.O. of the regiment, and the first medical missionary; then, too, there were his literary gifts, for he had a vivid, and often intensely beautiful, style of writing, which proved of great service to the cause - who can measure the extent of the usefulness of his Gospel, and of his Acts; and we may not forget his personal gifts, the charm of manner, the attractiveness of personality that he very evidently possessed. All he had, and all he was, was gladly thrown into the cause. May we stay a moment to ask ourselves whether such complete abandonment to GOD marks our Christian life? Note (c) What he meant to the C.O. First, in fidelity. From Troas to Philippi, where he was stationed for a while to nurture the young believers; afterwards, back to Jerusalem, up to Caesarea, on the sea during the terrible storm and shipwreck, across to Rome during the first imprisonment, and now under the awful conditions of the second imprisonment; Luke scarcely left his side; and, for the moment, he is the "only" companion he has. What a help it must have been for him to have a doctor on the mission party all those years. Then, in affection, how much he would mean. Unless I am greatly mistaken Paul set great store by the loving-kindness of his friends. Over and over again you see, in his Letters, expressions of his gratitude for their help. and gifts. And when, in Colossians 4:14, you read, "Luke the beloved physician", you can detect the deep mutual affection that existed between these two. But, alas, we have spent as much time as we dare over this attractive man. Let us pick up another snapshot: it is inscribed­ - A CREDIT TO THE REGIMENT "Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." But surely I have seen this young man somewhere before? I seem to remember something rather shady about him. Yes, you are quite right: there was (a) His past failure. There is no burking it, he had been a disgrace to the regiment. Do you recall how enthusiastically he had begun? Soon after his conversion, which happened through Peter, as 1 Peter 5:13 seems to suggest, he was introduced to Paul by his uncle Barnabas, and thenceforth he threw all the virility of his ardent young manhood into the cause, joining, as Acts 13:5 shows, the first missionary party. They had a grand time in Cyprus - the equable climate, the Christian adventure, and the spiritual triumphs, combined with the daily companionship of the two great men to make it for Mark an unforgettable experi­ence. And then, alas, the tragedy happened. They crossed over to Pamphylia, which the young enthusiast quickly discovered to be a fever-laden area. I suspect that this was where Paul picked up his malaria germ. Mark was too scared to go on; and, begging to be excused the remainder of the tour, he returned home to his mother at Jerusalem. There is no need here to recall the sad consequences of this defection; for we must hurry on to (b) His present condition. By the grace of GOD, and perhaps through the tender handling of Barnabas, he climbed out of the morass, and has actually become a credit to the regiment - "he is profitable to me." Paul had already used that word when, in 2 Timothy 2:21, he spoke of the man who was "meet for the Master’s use" - useful to the MASTER, and now, Mark, useful to His servant, useful all round. That is a quality which we might all covet, to be ever ready to help both Him and His. It is very delightful to observe the change that has come over the relationship between these two. Paul had, very firmly, and, as I think, very rightly, refused the employ­ment of the younger man; but now he is re-instated. A work of grace had been going on - possibly through Barnabas’ behaviour, for I think that he also was right. Paul now badly wants the very man that once he wouldn’t have. Another thing, as I look at his snapshot, I am reminded of is (c) His prospective honour. We never can tell what GOD has in mind for the returning backslider. For Mark it was some­thing unspeakably honourable: GOD had chosen him to be the writer of the Gospel according to Mark. If any of my readers has, like Mark, wandered from GOD, and deserted His service, will he, also like Mark, come back? You will not be commissioned to write a Gospel, but you will be expected to live one­. "You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, By all that you do, and all that you say. Men read what you write, whether faithless, or true, Say, what is the Gospel according to you?" "This honour have all His saints," if I may dare to adopt the words of Psalms 149:9, spoken in a very different connection. So, ere we put the little snapshot down, let us take notice of one further point, (d) His perennial lesson. It is, that there is always a way back home for the backslider. Think of Jonah, renegade and runaway. He was offered the inestimable privilege of going to a heathen people to proclaim the message of repentance unto salvation; but his insensate prejudice forbade him, and he ran away from GOD! But, of course, when a man runs away from GOD, then GOD runs after him. In miraculous ways, GOD, at great pains, turned him back, and, greatest miracle of all, He offered him again the same task: "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time", Jonah 3:1. Or, again, think of Peter. How earnest he was in the Master’s service. He meant every word he said; yet, at the testing time, he failed terribly, and "went out and wept bitterly", Luke 22:62. Was that the end? "I will heal their backsliding," is His promise, through Hosea 14:4, to every truly repentant soul. He did that for Peter, and for Jonah, and for Mark; He will still do it for any of His children who stray from Him, however deep they have sunk. "Have you sinn’d as none else in the world have before? Are you blacker than other creatures in guilt? Oh, fear not, and doubt not I the mother who bore you Loves you less than the SAVIOUR whose Blood you have spilt. Come, come to His feet, and lay open your story Of suffering and sorrow, of guilt and of shame; For the pardon of sin is the crown of His glory, And the joy of our Lord to be true to His Name," Faber’s intensely moving lines are blessedly true, as a myriad could testify. Just one more snapshot­ - THE COLONELS BATMAN "Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus." There is a fuller portrait of this man to be seen in the Group Photograph in Colossians 4:7-14, where Paul outlines his character as (a) "A beloved brother - brother, because master and servant each were alike children in GOD’s family, through "common faith" (Titus 1:4), in CHRIST; beloved. because he had learned his true worth, and esteemed him highly. And (b) "A fellow servant" - if Tychicus was Paul’s servant, both of them were the LORD’s servants, "fellow-servant in the Lord" But dwell just now on the middle point, (c) "A faithful minister" - the word used seems to signify his personal servant, almost his valet; in military language, his batman. Paul had long since discovered how utterly trust­worthy he was, and sent him on many a delicate mission. For example, when he had written the Epistle to the Colossians, this was the man to whom he entrusted its safe delivery: incident­ally, he arranged that Onesimus, bearing the letter to Philemon, should travel with Tychicus, so that if Onesimus "funked" it at the last moment, he might prevent his running away again. And now he has sent him "to Ephesus." That was where Timothy’s headquarters were, and Paul wanted Timothy to come to him. I surmise that Tychicus went to relieve Timothy and, in some degree, to hold the fort till he returned, But, in that case, what was Paul to do in Tychicus’ absence for the more personal service that he needed? I suggest that that was why Timothy was asked to pick up Mark on his way to Rome and bring him along with him - "for the ministry": it is the same word, in the Greek, as is applied in Colossians 4:1 to Tychicus. May the MASTER, Whose "fellow-servants" we are, find us as "faithful," in every duty, and on every day, as those two were to Paul. And now, as we close, let us drop all this military metaphor and go back to those poignant and pathetic words with which the portion opened. "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me." They are the urgent message of a dying father, who hasn’t long now to live, and who so greatly longs to have one last look, and touch, of a beloved son. "Do your very best to come to me as quickly as ever you can" - anyhow "before winter", he adds in verse 2 Timothy 4:21. The mantle of that intimate relationship was spread over the opening passages of the Epistle, and at its close we find it extended again. I don’t think we have gone far wrong in the Title we have given these Studies. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 40: 02.17. 2TI 4:13-18 - ON REMAND ======================================================================== Chapter Seventeen -- On Remand 2 Timothy 4:13-18 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. LET me remind you that, after his release from his first Roman imprisonment, Paul enjoyed three or four years of freedom to enjoy again his peripatetic ministry in the Gospel, after which he was re-arrested - perhaps at Troas - and it is out from this second imprisonment that Timothy comes. There seems to be some kind of a break after verse 2 Timothy 4:8 of our present chapter, and verse 2 Timothy 4:9 bears a disjointed appearance. Dr. Eugene Stock, in his Plain Talks on the Pastoral Epistles, p. 306, gives reason for his inclining to the view that, at the conclusion of his writing verse 8, Paul was taken off to his trial in the Emperor’s Court. There he had unexpectedly secured an adjournment, and was returned to his prison on remand. He had imagined that he was to be immedi­ately sent to his death, and the verses he had just finished have the air of a final farewell; but now a further breathing space is afforded him and, with the customary postponements of the then legal procedure, who knows how long that may be: there may yet be time for him to get one last loving visit from dear Timothy - so, once again, he turns to complete his Letter, speaking after a different fashion from what he had at first intended. He urges Timothy, as we saw last Lecture, to come to him as quickly as possible, and meanwhile tells him something of what had happened in Court. We are to think, then, of our present passage as dictated while on remand, and it will remind us of­ THE RIGOUR OF HIS CALL How very different are his present conditions from those of his former detention can be estimated by reading Acts 28:30-31. That had been a lenient imprisonment; but now, in the Mammertine Prison, he is in the underground dungeon - damp, and dark, and dismal, and dirty, and dreadfully cold. So he asks that Timothy will bring him some things that would alleviate his distress, things that he had hurriedly left behind, when, perhaps, he had been suddenly arrested at Troas, and given no time even to collect a bit of luggage. I cannot otherwise account for Paul leaving "the parchments" behind, as we shall see presently. These things were in the care of Carpus - a gentleman about whom we know practically nothing. Evidently he was a friend of Paul’s, and that’s good enough: anyone who was a friend of his is one whom I should be proud to know. I love his name; it means, Fruit: one of the many "fruits" of Paul’s ministry, I suppose. By the way, have you, my reader, any fruits of our service for GOD? So, In the house of this friend and fruit of his, were these things that Paul longed to have. Dean Farrar, in his great book on the Apostle Paul, calls attention to the interesting similarity in the life of William Tyndale, who from his prison at Vilvorden, In 1535, asked for some warmer clothing, and above all for his Hebrew Bible, and grammar and dictionary. Well, our apostle asks for: (a) Something to warm his body - "the cloke." It was perishing cold in that cell, especially with winter approaching, as verse 2 Timothy 4:21 reminds us. The word meant a circular garment, sleeveless, with a hole in the middle for slipping it over the head, like a bicycle cape. It would be made of the black goat’s hair that was so familiar. I wonder where the apostle bought it? Or - perhaps he made it himself? Remember that tents were made of this same material; and Paul was a tent maker. Anyhow, it had been a great comfort to him on his travels, and if only he could get it now, it would wonderfully palliate the rigour of his cell. Do you wonder that the Bible should find room for the mention of such an ordinary everyday thing as the need of a cloke? Bishop Moule would answer you that "the GOD of Scripture has room in His heart for every detail of human life." All the little things of your life are an interest to Him; all the little needs you have are a concern to Him - so don’t hesitate to bring them to Him in your prayers. It became the fashion, in certain high ecclesiastical circles, to say that this cloke was a eucharistic vestment like a chasuble, and that Paul needed it for ritualistic purposes! An astounding suggestion", says Dr. Plummer; and Bishop Bernard, "a perverse idea." Next, Paul wanted­: (b) Something to occupy his mind - "the books." They would be papyrus rolls. I wonder what were the subjects, and who the author? It would be fascinating to know what books he had thus collected and so greatly valued. Professor David Smith says they were "probably memoranda of his own." I do not know what right he has to say "probably"; perhaps we may be allowed to soften it, and say "possibly." Doubtless the apostle kept records of things, and people, and sayings, and events, and it would be a great refreshment to him to go over these remi­niscences. Perhaps the idea of getting the books was to be able to read through them with Dr. Luke, and to bequeath them to him on his death. In that case, they would be of inestimable value to the good doctor and author when he was compiling his book of Acts of Apostles. We know from Luke 1:1-4 that, speaking of the human side of the matter, it was by using the work of other writers, etc., that he constructed his own histories. Then Paul asked for­: (c) Something to feed his soul - "the parchments." I take it, they would be parts of the Scriptures, and that was why he "especially" wanted them. But are you not surprised that a man like Paul should leave his Bible behind like that? That is what inclines me to accept the idea that he was arrested at Troas - perhaps somewhere in the street, and given no permission even to call at his lodgings to collect his belongings. Bundled oft in that fashion, he had perforce to leave behind his warm overcoat, little library of books, and, what mattered "especially" - his Bible. I can imagine how insistently he would impress upon us the importance of always having our Bible near at hand and what is more important still, of always living our lives near to our Bible! And now, as he continues to dictate his Letter, there rises up before his mind­ THE FIGURE OF HIS ADVERSARY "Alexander, the coppersmith" - or, as it should be, just "the smith," whether copper, or other. That must put out of court the old churchwarden’s joke on counting the collection with a preponderance of the cheapest coins, "Alexander the coppersmith has done us much evil". It was a feeble joke, and called for a quick death; but, but - in any case - why make jokes out of Bible things? Surely there are plenty of other places to get them from, without desecrating holy ground. I do most seriously protest that we Christians should refrain ourselves from any sort of flippant treatment of GOD’s Book. And, having got that off my mind, let me invite you to consider the figure of this sinister personality who proved to be Paul’s antagonist in chief at this time. First notice (a) His position in the matter - "did me much evil." On this, Mr. Shaw Caldecott, in his Synthetic Studies in Scripture, says, "It has been left to a learned Indian Judge to discover that, in the words translated ’ . . . did me much evil,’ we have an old legal formula of Roman times, the modern equivalent of which is, ’ . . . laid the information against me’. "It was on the sworn information of this man that the case proceeded. I find that Conybeare and Howson explain that the phrase implies, " . . . charge me with much evil": the same thing as His Honour the Judge said. What a dreadful reputation to have on the page of history­ to have been the initiating cause of the arrest, and trial, and martyrdom of the grand apostle. May it be ours, on the contrary, to be the initiating cause of much blessing, and many lives saved. The next point to be considered about Alexander Smith is: (b) His peril for believers - "of whom be thou ware also, for he hath greatly withstood our words." If you turn to 1 Timothy 1:20, you will read of "Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." We have no evidence either way, but I have a very distinct suspicion that this is the same Alexander. It was, of course, a quite common name, and there may have been two persons; but it would so fit into things if they were the same. At the time of that earlier passage, he has been falling into such grave sin that Paul has felt compelled to deliver his body into Satan’s hands that his soul may be saved. Hymenaeus, you remember, is mentioned in our 2 Timothy 2:17; and now, as I think, it is Alexander his companion in iniquity. He has had to wait a year or so for his revenge; and, at the time of this (2 Timothy 4:14), his chance has come to get his own back for evil. Circumstances have arisen which the tortuous, and iniquitous, mind of Alexander can twist into a charge against the apostle, and so an "information" is laid with the raw authorities. Moreover, if our conjecture be right, this man had been one of the Christian company; he would know what was done, what was said, what was thought; he could as easily trap the other Christians as he had trapped Paul - therefore "of whom be thou ware also." Such a "worrying" sheep would always be a danger; but he would be all the more dangerous because he was at one time numbered among the flock. None is so fierce an enemy as an erstwhile friend. Look, however, at: (c) His punishment by GOD - "the Lord reward him according to his works." Does that sound vindictive? Are you surprised that such a man as Paul should talk like that? Well, it all depends upon whether he is thinking of Alexander’s damage as being done to himself, or to the cause. The MASTER Himself observed that distinction. When did He ever reproach men for their doing harm to Himself personally? When, in our present passage, Paul speaks of those who have hurt him, his tone is very different, as we shall see presently in verse 2 Timothy 4:16. It is the hurt he has done to the Cause, which calls forth this prayer from the apostle’s outraged soul. Note Paul’s reference to "our words", as if he were speaking and thinking collectively, not "my words," as if he were considering the matter individually and personally. But if I do not in this carry you with me, let me invite your attention to the fact that it is not a prayer for GOD to do it, but a statement that He will do it! Psalms 62:12 had said, "Thou renderest to every man according to his work." Here, then, is the man who started all the trouble. Consider, in the last place­: THE VIGOUR OF HIS DEFENCE "At my first answer", he says in verse 2 Timothy 4:16 - that is, his first answer to the charge brought against him. His second answer will be made after his remand, when the case comes up for resumed hearing. The astonishing fact was that (a) No one would undertake his defence. (i) Professional pleaders refused the case - "no man stood with me," the verb is used in a technical, legal sense, as of what we should call Defending Counsel. I suppose they were afraid of getting mixed up in such a charge, and being tarred with the same brush; for I have no doubt that, as the Jewish leaders did in all these cases against the Christians, they preferred here an accusation of sedition and treason. Why, they even did that in the case of our Lord: recall the words in Luke 23:2, "We found this Fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is . . . a king." It was, of course, a trumped-up charge; but the Roman authori­ties would never have listened to the real trouble, the religious question. The same thing happened with Paul at Thessalonica, in Acts 17:7, "these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." I should think that once again the apostle was the victim of this fraudulent behaviour, and that is why no lawyer could be found to help him. Moreover, it seems to me that even: (ii) Witnesses absented themselves - "all men forsook me", all those, that is, that should have been there to testify in his favour. Their evidence might have been of enormous assistance; but they let him down - for the same reason, I presume, that had weighed with the lawyers. The accused man felt their defection very keenly; of course he did. But, as bearing out what we said earlier, will you note his reaction - "I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge." No shadow of vengefulness is here, but sweet prayerfulness. But, where have I heard like words before? Where has Paul heard like words before? Ah yes - it was more than thirty years ago that, as a young leader, he had presided at a Christian’s execution, and, as the cruel stones crushed the life out of the sufferer, the grand martyr, Stephen, had prayed, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge", Acts 7:60. That scene was one of the smarting stabs that (Acts 9:5) pricked his conscience; and those words had remained in his memory ever since, and only now, after thirty long years, and faced with his own martyrdom, did he get his own back against Stephen for good, by praying the same prayer for those who despitefully used him an persecuted him. They both caught that lovely spirit from the SAVIOUR. even as we get all of good from Him, when He asked, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," Luke 23:34. So here Paul is in the old Roman court, left all alone; and: (b) He conducted his own defence. Never an easy thing to do; sometimes a dangerous thing to do; but, in this instance, there was no help for it. How typical it was of Paul that in this (i) He saw an opportunity - "That by me the preaching might be fully known", instead of the bits and extracts, and rumours, of what he had taught that may have reached them, he could now give them a full account of his message. The Acts of the Apostles shows us how he took the opportunity that his various Trials afforded him of making his message fully known, telling of JESUS of Nazareth as the LORD of Glory come down to earth, Who went about doing good, Whom they crucified, but GOD raised Him, and all who believe on Him shall receive remission of sins, and be filled with the HOLY GHOST. Paul’s defence would be the strangest that ever they had heard: there was practically nothing about himself, it was all about his LORD. "And that all the Gentiles might hear," that is, all the Gentiles there in that court. There was Nero, or if he were absent (as some think he was at this time away on Imperial business in Greece) there was Burrus, the Prefect of the city of Rome, who acted for the Emperor in his absence. Then there were all the court officials, and besides them the general public who would crowd the place upon such an occasion. What a chance, thinks Paul, that all these shall have a full explanation of the saving message. Don’t you think it would be well if, every day of our lives, we were very definitely, and very earnestly, to ask GOD to help us to see, and to seize, opportunities? Biography is one of my hobbies; and out of a fairly wide acquaintance with the lives of successful servants of GOD, and ardent soul-winners, I should say that, in every case, a great part of their secret was this Alertness to sudden oppor­tunity. What now was the upshot of Paul’s action? (ii) He secured a Remand - "I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." That old lion who, according to 1 Peter 5:8, "goeth about seeking whom he may devour," was for the moment robbed of his prey. Dr. Plummer says that "the deliverance does not mean release from prison following upon acquittal, but temporary rescue from imminent danger." Paul would not, however, have us forget that: (c) The LORD was his defence - "Nevertheless, the Lord stood with me and strength­ened me." His unfailing Presence, and His upholding Power, were at Paul’s disposal, though all else fail. He, and we, can always rely on that, however lonely and deserted we may feel. One is reminded of what the MASTER said in John 16:32 about Himself, "ye . . . shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." Alone; and yet not alone! And, thank GOD, what was His comfort is our comfort too, and was Paul’s. The teacher in a Sunday-school class was explaining to her scholars the words "I will never leave thee", in Hebrews 13:5, when one of the boys, a sparkling little Irish­man, suddenly interrupted, "I see, teacher, I see what it means. What it means is, that when there’s only one of us, there’s always two of us!" Very Irish? Yes; but very true, and very precious. Have you ever had to go and do some difficult piece of work, to bear some definite witness, when you were all alone, and feeling it? There was only one of you. No; two! Paul was seemingly all alone in that court, but he wasn’t really alone: he was one, the mighty One was the other. And, as someone once said, "One with GOD is a majority." That was, of course, the real reason why he secured a Remand; and, with the assurance of faith, he adds, "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work", the corollary of which is that anything we are not delivered from is not, in true perspective, evil. The very same thing that he was spared on Remand, happened to him at his re-trial, so that by then it had assumed something of good, according to his own testimony in Romans 8:28. He knows that his LORD will "preserve" him until the good time comes for his translation to "His heavenly kingdom." To that LORD he would give "Glory"; and to His will he would say "Amen." The scholars have remarked on the similarity of this verse to the words of the LORD’s Prayer; and, inasmuch as the Gospels had not by this time been written, they draw the conclusion that the Prayer had been widely taught orally, and was familiar to those early believers; and that, in the longer version that Matthew subsequently gave us, with the doxology, Matthew 6:13. Be that as it may, we would close by inviting you to join in Paul’s "Amen" to that "beautiful sweet will, that wonderful grand will," that "Will that willest good alone", as Tersteegen’s hymn describes it. How Paul would re-echo the line, as he goes back on remand, and as he subsequently returns to trial again, "Upon GOD’s will I lay me down." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 41: 02.18. 2TI 4:19-22 - JUST A LAST FEW LINES ======================================================================== Chapter Eighteen -- Just A Last Few Lines 2 Timothy 4:19-22 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. IT was Paul’s custom to dictate his letters to someone who would act as his amanuensis. We do not know whether they were taken down in shorthand. That was a possibility, because this useful accomplishment was not invented by Isaac Pitman, until 1837; many systems had existed long before Sir Isaac’s day, and indeed, it was practiced extensively by the Romans away back in Cicero’s time, 106-43 B.C., many of whose speeches were "taken down." For all we know, then, Dr. Luke, who presumably took down this Letter, may have added stenography to his many other gifts. What we are sure of is that Paul always added a closing few lines in his own hand, as 2 Thessalonians 3:17 tells us- "The saluta­tion of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write." There is, if my understanding of it is correct, a rather pathetic ending to his Colossian letter, which (Colossians 4:18) he concludes by writing, "The salutation of me, Paul. Remember my bonds . . ." Why does he add that last bit? Well, as we know, he was, during the imprisonment, chained at the wrist to a Roman soldier; and whatever his normal handwriting was like, it could not have been improved by that circumstance. I suggest that, when he saw what a bad fist he had made of it, he adds those words about his bonds by way of explanation and extenuation. Our present passage, following that first "Amen," would appear to be his personally written addition to this particular letter, and was presumably the last thing he ever did write. Let us note three things­ FIRST - PERSONALITIES He has already mentioned fifteen people, in the course of his dictation, and now he writes of eight others: the ninth name here occurs earlier. (a) Some are in Ephesus, where Timothy is­ and the apostle bids him "salute" them - that is, give them his kind remembrance, his affectionate greetings. (i) Prisca and Aquila. Six times this splendid couple are referred to in the New Testament, and in four of the instances the lady, as here, is put first. Is the suggestion fanciful that this possibly indicates that she was the leading spirit in the partnership, so far as spiritual things were concerned? It seems probable that Paul first made their acquaintance in the way of business. When he first arrived with the Gospel at Corinth, he determined to support himself by his tent-making. Every Jewish boy, however genteel the family, was taught some trade; and Paul had often to be thankful for his proficiency in this craft. As it happened, there were two Jewish refugees at Corinth at the time. They had come from Rome, whence all Jews had been expelled by the Emperor Claudius, about A.D. 53. "The emperors more than once expelled them from the city, but they always returned," comments the late Professor H. M. Gwatkin, in his grand Early Church History, vol. i., p. 40. As a matter of fact, these two are back in Rome in Romans 16:3. Their trade was tent-making, and they had "set up shop" at Corinth, and when Paul came across their sign, he secured, as Acts 18:1-3 recounts, both work and lodging with them, thus supporting himself, and giving himself in his spare time, and on the sabbaths, to the preaching of the Gospel. It is not long before, as had previously happened with his doctor, he led his landlady and landlord to CHRIST. I wonder if part of the influence he exerted on them was due to the efficient way in which he did his work? It is recorded of Joseph, in Genesis 39:3, that "his master saw that the LORD was with him" - a something about the way he did his work? And perhaps Paul’s employers were impressed with the fidelity and dexterity with which he set about his daily tasks, and were all the more readily disposed to listen when he spoke to them of his MASTER. Let all those take special note of this point who, being Christians, are in domestic service, or at a workshop bench, or on an office stool, or at a school desk. "His master saw" - ­and of course, his MASTER saw! Anyhow, the two are converted; and how quickly they grow, for by Acts 18:26, having passed on to Ephesus, they were able to take the greatly gifted Apollos, and to "expound unto him the way of God more perfectly." Their loyalty and courage are next to be observed, for Romans 16:4 says they "have for my life laid down their own necks" - in some ugly situation they had risked their necks to save the apostle. Unlike those nobles of Nehemiah 3:5, who "put not their necks to the work of their Lord", these two were "up to their necks" in it. Finally, in 1 Corinthians 16:19, we find them lending the accommodation of their home for the gathering of the believers for worship, "the church that is in their house." A fine pair of devoted Christians: no wonder Paul sends them, through Timothy, his affectionate greetings. (ii) The household of Onesiphorus is also greeted. We dealt with them at 2 Timothy 1:16. Onesiphorus himself, as not being included in the good wishes, was obviously absent, either because he had died, or, as I think, was away on some journey. "He oft refreshed me," says the apostle - recalling wistfully the delightful hospitality he had enjoyed in that home. Led of the SPIRIT, Paul had joined with Peter (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9) in pressing upon believers the duty and virtue of Christian hospitality - all the more needful, perhaps, in those early days, when believers were few and scattered; but still greatly fruitful in these days. Continuing our study of these recorded personalities, we see: (b) Some are in Rome, where Paul is. Each of them "greeteth" Timothy - there is Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. Various flimsy identifications of these people have been attempted, but they may quite safely be ignored, with one exception. Says Dr. Handley Maule, "More solid, for early tradition favours it, and there lies no difficulty in the way, is the belief that the Linus here named is the first Christian pastor to be entrusted with the bishopric of Rome in the early and holy simplicity of that great office." Dr. Alfred Plummer may also usefully be quoted, "We may safely conclude that the Linus who here sends greeting is identical with the Linus who, according to very early testimony preserved by Irenaeus, was first among the earliest bishops of the Church of Rome. Irenaeus himself expressly identifies the [two]." "And all the brethren," proceeds our passage - all the church in that city, called "brethren" because members of the same Family. (i) What a large family we are - "the blessed company of all faithful [believing] people", as the Church of England Prayer Book describes them: embracing all believers, the first, the last, and the rest. At any given time, or spot, seen to be a "little flock", but in the eternal aggregate, a "great multi­tude", Luke 12:32; Revelation 7:9. (ii) What a loving family we should be - the bickering, quarrelling, criticising, that disgrace some earthly families should never disfigure the family of GOD. And having written that, I hang my head with shame, and pass sadly on to (iii) What a loyal family we should be - loyal to one another; but, above all, loyal to the Head of the Family. But now: (c) Some are elsewhere. (i) At Corinth - was Erastus. He is, I expect, the same man as is mentioned In Acts 19:22, who had accompanied Timothy on a certain mission to Macedonia. They would have got to know each other very well on that trip; and Timothy would be glad to have news. of him. So he "abode at Corinth," did he? Well, that was where he belonged; indeed, he was a person of some considerable position there, being, as Romans 16:23 tells us, "the chamberlain of the city" - the City Chamberlain, the Borough Treasurer. What a splendid thing for any Municipality when there are avowed Christians in, its important posts. I am presuming again, you see, that the same name here means the same person. You and I, my reader, have some position in the Municipality, whether high or humble, whether an employee or a citizen: may we seek to influence the civic life of our town in any way, big or small, that comes to our band as avowed Christians, pulling our weight on behalf of everything that is clean, and true, and beautiful for the com­munity, acting "on the aide of the angels," as Benjamin Disraeli would say, "for ye serve the Lord Christ", as Paul would say, Colossians 3:24. Then: (ii) At Miletum - was Trophimus. He, too, taking the references to denote the same person, is mentioned in two other places. In Acts 20:4 his name is included in the list of helpers as one of Paul’s mission parties; and in Acts 21:29 he is the innocent cause of Paul’s being mobbed at Jerusalem: but it is the account of him here in our present passage that I want particularly to look at, and I shall do so under our following heading: NEXT - HUMANITIES Paul was so remarkable a character that we are sometimes in danger of forgetting that he was only human after all. This latter quality peeps out here, in (a) His human limitations­ - "Trophimus have I left at Miletum, sick." Yet it would seem that he would have been so helpful to the apostle’s work if only he had been made well enough to go on, instead of having to be left behind: and Paul had remarkable healing powers entrusted to him, as we learn from Acts 19:11-12, "God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them . . ." Yes, but you see if we take the whole Scripture testimony, and eschew the One-Text Method, we are, I believe, driven to the conclusion that bodily healing is not always the will of GOD. Why, even Paul himself was handi­capped by obstinate ill-health, a "thorn in the flesh", which I personally follow Sir William Ramsay in thinking was malaria. How much more, and how much better, service he would be able to render to the Cause, if he could get rid of this persistent infirmity. So he prayed GOD, for His own glory, to heal him, three times he very specially prayed about it, with what result we know from 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 - GOD did not heal him; but, what was harder, gave him "grace" to triumph over it. And Timothy, too: what a pity, and what a hindrance, that he should remain something of an invalid, with his frequent attacks of gastric trouble; whereas, with a robust constitution, he could wage so intrepid a fight. Why, then, did Paul not heal him? Why was it that the best he could do was to prescribe a regular vinous dosage for his "often infirmities", 1 Timothy 5:23? Paul had his gifts, his powers, but he was only human, and his great possibilities were subject to the limitation of GOD’s perfect will and purpose. We observe here also (b) His human longings - "Do thy diligence to come before winter." Under the restrictions of the primitive navigation of those days, there was no sailing in the winter; and if Timothy did not get away before then, it would necessitate a long dreary postponement of his visit, and in all probability it would then come too late. And this very human father did so badly want to see his son. In verse 2 Timothy 4:9, he had already dictated, "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me", come quick; but now, in his own handwriting, he pens it, "Do thy diligence to come before winter." The MASTER would not upbraid him for this humanity: He, too, was so truly human that he leant, in the Garden, on the prayerful sympathy of His three intimate friends, as we saw in an earlier Lecture. The fact is, the New Birth does not deprive us of our humanities. A great treasure has become ours; but, as 2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels." I suppose that fact (i) Modifies the treasure - owing to our sinful nafure, our dull mind, our tired body, our fragile will, our fluctuating feelings, our frayed nerves, it becomes restricted in its operations. But I know that this fact: (ii) Magnifies the vessel - to think that GOD not only can, but will, take us up in His service in spite of our human weakness. In Psalms 39:4, David expresses his anxiety "that I may know how frail I am." Yes, better to know it, and to guard against it. Yet (i) GOD chooses such. The Early Church was up against a stiff proposition - the wise, the mighty, the "things that are", or, as we should say, "the powers that be": and to counter and conquer them He quite deliberately "chose" very frail persons, as 1 Corinthians 1:27-28. Moreover (ii) GOD uses such - Peter the boaster, Thomas the doubter, Philip the ignorant, John the fiery, you, and me. He is prepared to use even such poor specimens as ourselves. Because (iii) GOD infuses such - fills them with the HOLY SPIRIT, that they may be, and do, what He purposes for them. The frail shall not fail - if filled. Having looked at the quite natural humanities, our passage unfolds to us­ THEN - DIVINITIES Paul pens his last words to his son: where shall he lead him, where leave him? where shall he find for him a stable resting-­place? First, in (a) A Divine Presence - "the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit." (i) Paul’s own experience - had, through a myriad perils, and adventures, and distresses, been very precious. Over and over again it had been his Master’s Presence which had saved him. Even in our last Study, we saw him in perplexity because all who should have stood by him had forsaken him: but, in verse 2 Timothy 4:17, we find him drawing his comfort and help from the blessed realisation that the LORD stood with him. Paul might have driven home his lesson by recalling case after case of GOD’s people throughout his prized Old Testament who had been similarly succoured. For instance (ii) Joseph’s experience - was so eminently remarkable. Genesis 39:2 had said that "the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man" - or, in William Tyndale’s vivid rendering, "he was a luckie fellowe." A lucky fellow? Listen: He is a slave, and in a foreign country, and knowing not a soul there, nor one word of the language! A lucky fellow, indeed! Yes, for the one all-­sufficient reason that the LORD was with him. That was the over­riding fact of his life, the over-mastering secret of his success. And this shall be: (iii) Timothy’s experience - he shall soon be ­bereft of his spiritual father’s earthly presence: but he shall be stayed and stablished on that of his Heavenly Father. Looked at from the merely human and earthly standpoint, Timothy’s situation was a by no means enviable one - his environment, with increasing persecution abroad, was gravely forbidding: his personality, somewhat timid and shrinking, and delicate in health, was scarcely "tough" enough to be expected to stand up to it all: his responsibilities, as the leader of the Christian forces in his area, the one to whom they would all naturally look for guid­ance, and inspiration, and example, would weigh down even the strongest. Yes, all true: but, Timothy, this also is true, that, in the hottest of the fire, you shall know the comfort of the Master’s presence, even as three other young men did long years before you, when "the Form of the fourth" meant so much, Daniel 3:25. And (iv) Our experience - shall, thank GOD, be the same. We, too, may count upon His Presence, however difficult our circumstances may become. That, then, is the first of the divinities to which Paul directs his young friend. The second is (b) A Divine Power - "grace be with you." Grace: what a word, and what a thing! Dr. Handley Moule defined it as "love in action." Our familiar hymn has accustomed us to the idea of "grace to cover all my sin" - that comes first, of course; but then we have "grace to cover all my need." How tremendous, both in volume and in variety, was Timothy’s need - and yours, too, perhaps. But how enormous is this vast supply. I am greatly interested in a Greek word, which comes only twice in the New Testament, each time used by Peter, and in both places translated "manifold." In 1 Peter 1:6 it is "manifold temptations" - oh, how many are the trials, and troubles, and testings of life. How shall we stand firm? In 1 Peter 4:10 it is "manifold grace" - one grace in a myriad manifestations. Hold up your left hand, and look upon the fingers and thumb as representative of the first "mani­fold": and now your right, as picturing the second "manifold." As you view the one, bring across the other, to cover it - exactly matching, you will observe, all the fingers, and each of the fingers. And then take the illustration down into your very soul - that, on the one hand, the "manifold grace" is there to meet the "manifold temptations" on the other hand, the shape and style of the grace exactly corresponding to the shape and style of the need. Note one last point: the "you" here is plural. It is usually present with "with you all": I venture it, "with you and yours." The all-sufficient grace for Pastor and People, for Shepherd and Flock. alike. "Amen"! So ends the letter of this Father to this Son. Tell me: have you any sons, any children in the faith, any that you have been enabled to bring to a saving knowledge of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, as Paul brought Timothy, and a thousand more? As you put down this book of Studies, will you, if you have never begun before, start to long, and to labour, to be a Soul Winner - that you may have one, and many more than one, to bring up for Him and bring on in His ways. John Keble said, "The salvation of one soul is worth more than the framing of a Magna Charta of a thousand worlds." Indeed, as Proverbs 11:30 has it, "He that winneth souls is wise": and if you feel wholly inadequate for such a holy task, you must go and speak with Him about it who said, in Matthew 4:19, "I will make you fishers of men." Of the famous Dr. Arnold, his eldest son, Matthew, wrote in his Rugby Chapel­ "But thou wouldst not alone Be saved, my father! alone Conquer and come to thy goal." Neither would Paul, who, in 1 Corinthians 9:22, wrote of his earnest longing "that I might by all means save some." Please GOD, our study together of this Great Letter shall lead us to the like frame of mind, and to the like purpose of life. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 42: 03.00.1. CROSSING THE BORDER - AN EXPOSITIONAL STUDY OF COLOSSIANS ======================================================================== CROSSING THE BORDER An Expositional Study of Colossians by GUY H. KING CHRISTIAN LITERATURE CRUSADE Fort Washington, Pennsylvania ======================================================================== CHAPTER 43: 03.00.2. PREFACE TO THE E-SWORD EDITION ======================================================================== Preface to the e-Sword Edition When I first discovered the amazing power of e-Sword, I was connected to the internet with a 56k fax modem. My enthusiasm for the program and its plethora of resources motivated me to stay up all night downloading its riches. I spent the next several days exploring the amazing variety of study material. As a busy pastor, I’ve tried to assemble a classic research library. As a busy pastor of a small church, I’ve tried to inexpensively assemble a classic research library. E-Sword immediately added many valuable assets that I hadn’t yet purchased; and those resources that e-Sword duplicated were much easier and faster to use than the paper versions. Since that wonderful first week, I’ve discovered many more treasures through Google searches. Then one day I realized that I owed a debt. I made a contribution to Rick Meyers (Rick - you are the modern day Gutenberg; should the Lord not return in the near future like I believe He will, you will do for Bible study the next 100 years what Gutenberg did in the 1500’s), and then started looking for public domain resources to convert to .topx files. And so my personal journey has come full circle: from the excitement of discovering e-Sword to the excitement of creating .topx files for others. Like Rick quotes from Matthew 10:8, "freely ye have received, freely give." Thank you, Michelle, Jeremiah, Isaiah & Micah, for understanding my debt and graciously tolerating my near compulsive computer use for hours on end. My thanks to the creator of e-Sword, Rick Meyers - www.e-sword.net. Thank you, Mr. Guy King, for converting your studies to eternal print. A special thanks to Mr. Virgil Butts of www.baptistbiblebelievers.com for typing the manuscript. Thanks also to Mr. Jason Briggs, Mr. Ed Sandlin & Mrs. Pamela Marshall for so enriching my own eS ministry. And of course - most importantly - my thanks to the Lord Jesus who saved my soul for all eternity. This Edition There have been no changes to King’s work, except for the following: Scripture references have been converted to Scripture hyperlinks using the "Format Scripture ToolTip." A few obvious Scripture reference errors have been corrected, as well as some obvious spelling errors. The copy and paste process may have removed some of the italicized print. While the words have not been changed, some of King’s emphasis may be missing. It is with regret that I have not taken the time to correct this. The sense is still accurate. [By the way - would you understand this paragraph without italics? Of course!] Also, the italicizing of the foreign words have been lost. It is my hope that the reader will be able to follow the flow regardless of these flaws. They - the flaws - are mine, not King’s. I am quite sure my edition of King’s work is rather imperfect. I pray that, nonetheless, it will be productively useful in the study of God’s Word. Finally Feel free to contact me with comments. You can reach me via e-mail at dm5thomason@bigfoot.com Also, if you convert a classic resource to e-Sword .topx file (or .dctx, .cmtx, etc.), send me your work! I’d love to utilize it! If you haven’t joined the e-Sword Users group, visit www.e-sword-users.org and check it out. This is a free group, with lots of third-party resources (like this one!) and help from other e-Sword users. May the Lord bless you as study His word. Dr. David S. Thomason Florida, USA 2010 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 44: 03.00.3. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ======================================================================== Copyright Information Copyright © 1957 Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Ltd. edited for 3BMB by Baptist Bible Believer in the spirit of the Colportage Ministry of a century ago ~ out-of-print and in the public domain ~ No Evidence of a Current Copyright for the Printed Book Found During online Internet searches of the Library of Congress database in Washington D.C., performed on 11-6-2006, no evidence of a current copyright was found for this publication. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 45: 03.00.4. IN MEMORIAM ======================================================================== IN MEMORIAM Canon Guy H. King completed the manuscript of this book September 28th 1956. He preached his last sermon September 30th 1956, taking as his text Numbers 13:23-33 with the keynote of "Crossing the Border into the Promised Land of GOD’s best" emphasizing the theme of Full Salvation. This theme also runs through this book as its main thought; hence its title "Crossing the Border". The dedication was written after the author’s retirement from CHRIST Church, Beckenham, had been announced. He passed to his rest October 1st 1956, and it is thought that many who have found his books a source of inspiration and guidance in Bible study would like to have the notes of his last sermon, which are reproduced on the following page. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 46: 03.00.5. GRAPES, GIANTS & GRASSHOPP... NUMBERS 13:23-33 ======================================================================== GRAPES, GIANTS, AND GRASSHOPPERS Numbers 13:23-33 These three words sum up The Majority Report of a Commission of Enquiry sent to assess the situation, and to present a report. Moses, borders, Promised Land; I. borders, Christian life, land, promises. Decision: enter, or remain outside? THE GRAPES of Incomparable Blessing Never such grapes; never such blessings. Pardon of sins - Isaiah 1:18. Peace of mind - Php 4:7. Power for victory - 1 John 5:4. Prospect of Heaven - John 14:2. Pilot on the voyage - Psalms 43:4. Pleasures of Ceo - Psalms 16:11. Purpose in life - Acts 27:23. Pictures of consistency - Hebrews 13:7. Presence of CHRIST - Hebrews 13:5. No wander, Psalms 34:8; Proverbs 4:18. THE GIANTS of Immense Opposition Attracted by, grapes; no use, giants! Giant Difficult - never be able to keep it up. Giant Doubt - can’t be sure. Giant Dismal - "giving up". Giant Delay - later on means never. THE GRASSHOPPERS of Inadequate Self In own sight - in their sight. That was the end of the Majority Report; but Minority. THE GOD OF INVINCIBLE POWER Able to save - able to keep. It is not we, but He. Over the border, then, into the Promised Land of GOD’s best. "I’ve never let one go, yet." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 47: 03.00.6. FOREWARD ======================================================================== FOREWORD We shall not have gone far in our reading of Colossians before we call to mind some remarks of Peter concerning "our beloved brother Paul", in whose Epistles, he says, "are some things hard to be understood". In this particular letter there are certainly some very difficult passages. I have, in this study, tried not to by-pass these perplexities, but have offered, with all deference, my own thoughts about them - Difficulties, yes; but what Delights are here, too. I can only prayerfully hope that my clumsy efforts at exposition will not have spoiled too much the glories and beauties of this Divinely inspired Scripture. CHRIST Church Vicarage, G.H.K. Beckenham ======================================================================== CHAPTER 48: 03.00.7. TABLE OF CONTENTS ======================================================================== Table of Contents CHAPTERS 01. HIS TACTFUL APPROACH, Colossians 1:1-2 02. HIS COURTEOUS ADDRESS, Colossians 1:3-11 03. HIS MAIN EMPHASIS, Colossians 1:12-29 04. HIS ADVICE ON ADVANCE, Colossians 2:1-10 05. HIS WARNING OF SNARES, Colossians 2:11-23 06. HIS ENCOURAGEMENT OF AMBITION, Colossians 3:1-4 07. HIS GUIDANCE ON GARMENTS, Colossians 3:5-14 08. HIS IDEAL HOME EXHIBITION, Colossians 3:15-16, Colossians 4:1 09. HIS TALK OF TONGUES, Colossians 4:2-6 10. HIS ENCLOSED GROUP PHOTOGRAPH, Colossians 4:7-14 11. HIS KIND REGARDS, Colossians 4:15-18 *** ======================================================================== CHAPTER 49: 03.01. COLOSSIANS 1:1-2 -- HIS TACTFUL APPROACH ======================================================================== CHAPTER ONE -- HIS TACTFUL APPROACH Colossians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" MANY writers have adopted the form of letters to express themselves - among the ancients there was Cicero, at a later time there was Erasmus, and coming on there were Thomas Gray, Horace Walpole, William Cowper, Charles Lamb and Sir Walter Scott; and there was Samuel Rutherford, who wrote his from prison; and right down to writers of our present time - and so many others in between. This ministry of letter writing was much used in the Early Church, and, as we know, the New Testament contains no less than twenty of them - we feel that Hebrews is more of a treatise than a letter. More -than half of these letters were written by Paul. We speak humanly, for we do not forget that behind him is the inspiring HOLY SPIRIT - "words . . . which the Holy Ghost teacheth", as he says in 1 Corinthians 2:13. Isn’t it interesting that GOD uses this method, as so many other methods, to convey His truth to human minds? I sometimes wonder why it is not employed more by Christian people, especially by shy folk who find it so difficult to speak about the things of GOD, but who could, perhaps, by prayerful tact write to another about things that matter most - perchance a simple testimony to what the Saviour means to the writer, and what He could, and would, mean to the reader. Who shall measure what such a ministry might accomplish in His Name. Well now, here is the great apostle engaged upon his correspondence. Can you not almost hear him as he dictates sentence by sentence - some of the sentences, by the way, so long that, as in Ephesians, the full stops are almost a rarity. He certainly did dictate his letters, as, for instance, we observe in Romans 16:22, "I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle". I wonder what the Roman guard thought as he listened to the inspired words - perhaps these very words were part of the means whereby Paul was able to lead some of the soldiers "that kept him", Acts 28:16, to CHRIST, these "saints in Caesar’s household", as Php 4:22 describes them. Though the letters were dictated, it seems that, in concluding, the apostle would take the pen in his own hand, and write a few words of personal salutation. "The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write", 2 Thessalonians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 16:21. How pathetically he remarks, "See how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand", Galatians 6:11 - was that because of bad eyesight, which some think was his "thorn in the flesh", 2 Corinthians 12:7? - and what about that other poignant reference at the end of this very Epistle that we are to study together, "The salutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds", Colossians 4:18? Why that last phrase? Was it just that he begged them to remember before GOD his irksome captivity? I think not. Bear in mind that he is bound at the wrist to a Roman soldier, and so he makes but a poor fist at his handwriting. I suggest that he offers this as an excuse for his perhaps illegible signature. Thus, then, we overhear him dictating to his amanuensis. Did Tychicus take it down in shorthand? A form of shorthand was practised among the Greeks, before CHRIST, and among the Latins of Cicero’s day, 60 B.C. Sir Isaac Pitman was not the inventor of the art, though the introducer of a most useful method. But now, the missive has reached its destination, and on one LORD’s Day, as the church at Colossae is assembled for worship, someone rises, and announces, "We have a letter from our beloved brother Paul". Would that not create an excited stir? It is thought that Paul was not the human founder of this church, writing as he was to these "many as have not seen my face in the flesh", Colossians 2:1, but it is evident that he was well-known to them, and highly esteemed among them. Indeed, Epaphras, the reputed founder, Colossians 1:7, was at the very time of Paul’s writing at Rome, Colossians 4:12-13, seemingly to consult the apostle concerning certain false teaching that was being promulgated among the church members. This heresy is dealt with at large in the course of the Epistle. In fact, we may say that the theme of the Epistle is "The Church". Dr. Graham Scroggie adds that the keyword is "Fulness" - all that the Church needs is in CHRIST. And I see that Dr. Campbell Morgan divides up the main part of the Epistle into (a) The Glorious CHRIST and His Church: Provision, and (b) The Church and her glorious CHRIST: Possession. Be it so; and for ourselves, we proceed to our more detailed examination of the letter, which we might think of as an essay in Learning by Correspondence, and we begin with Paul’s lesson in tactful approach. THE SUBTLE REFERENCE TO HIS AUTHORITY He doesn’t throw his weight about, as he was so well entitled to do; but he just throws in, almost casually, the fact that he is "an apostle", as if to remind his hearers that, in what he has to say, he speaks with all the authority that his important position gives him. But does he legitimately belong to "this apostleship", Acts 1:25? Some people consider that Peter proceeded precipitously in moving to the election of Matthias in the place of Judas. They advance the argument that to settle the matter by "lot" was wrong, seeing that in the Christian age the HOLY SPIRIT should have been their guide. But we remember that He had not yet been given to the Church at Pentecost; and, in any case, He was as able to lead by lot as He had done in past ages in "the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord", Proverbs 16:33. Another objection is that Matthias is never heard of again; but is Lebbreus, or Simon Zelotes? Anyhow, the suggestion that Peter made a mistake is evidently not shared by the Early Church herself, since the number of the apostolate seems to have been officially regarded as complete again after the election of Matthias - see Acts 6:2, "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them." Of course, if Paul had been intended to become a member of the original band, there was another vacancy on the death of James, Acts 12:2; but in reality he does not appear to have been eligible for the post, inasmuch as he did not fulfil the conditions, "men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us", Acts 1:21. It is interesting to recall that Barnabas is linked with Paul as an apostle, in Acts 14:14. Notwithstanding all that has been said, there is no doubt, or question, of the reality and authority of Paul’s apostleship. In the controversial Epistle to the Galatians he finds it incumbent to state the fact of his position, for he is to deal weighty blows on behalf of the truth. So he declares himself as "an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father", Galatians 1:1. Not that he boasted of the privilege, but ever held it in deepest humility, and profoundest gratitude, "as one born out of due time, for I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle . . ." 1 Corinthians 15:8-9. Great men are, at heart, humble men; and true humility is of great value in the sight of GOD. Says 1 Peter 5:5, "Be clothed with humility, for God giveth grace to the humble". The thought of Paul’s innate humility in the face of his high office leads one to think that perhaps there is no limit to what GOD can do with us if only we are humble enough! Many Christian careers have served to underline that feeling. When, in Romans 11:13, Paul speaks of himself as "the apostle of the Gentiles", he adds, "I magnify mine office", but he doesn’t magnify himself. Well - Paul makes here but gentle use of his claim to be an apostle. It is part of his tactful approach to his readers. And here is a further instance of the same - THE DELICATE ALLUSION TO HIS READERS He calls them "saints", Colossians 1:2. The word in itself has no moral or ethical connotation, but simply means, set apart. - We speak of a church as a holy place - not that there is anything special about its brick and stone and wood, except that it is set apart for the worship of GOD. - We speak of the Bible as a holy book - not that there is anything particular about its pages or binding, except that it is set apart for the conveyance to man of the inspired message of GOD. - We speak of the sacramental element as holy bread - not that it is in any sense different from ordinary bread, except that it is set apart in the service to be a reminder to us of the broken body of the crucified Son of GOD. In just that sense the Christian becomes, as it were automatically, a saint, a holy person - he is set apart from the company of ordinary people, set apart for GOD. Only, unlike our illustrative objects mentioned above, he is a sentient being, a personality. They can only be holy in use, and can never be changed in themselves, but he can proceed from being merely holy in position to being holy in condition. That is, of course, the Justificatlon of the translators of the Authorised Version when, In Romans 1:7, and in 1 Corinthians 1:2, they add two little words that are not in the Greek. but which they infer to be the intention of the apostle. They render the phrase, not "called saints" - which, as we have seen, is an accurate statement of the fact - but, "called to be saints." In other words we are called to be what we are. - A soldier must by his bearing and behaviour, live up to his possession. - A rich man should not belie his resources by living the life of a pauper. - Christians, too, must live up to their name and resources. Some "blaspheme that worthy Name by the which ye are called", James 2:7, but we must not blaspheme it by any vestige of unworthy character or conduct. By the grace of GOD, are we "called saints"? Then, by that same grace, we are "called to be saints". Paul follows this up with a further description - He calls them "faithful brethren", Colossians 1:2. The apostle was always careful about the words he used, and commonly invested even the most usual of them with deep significance. When he says "brethren", he means just that - it is not merely formal for him, as it so often is with us. These Christians are brothers and sisters because they "are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus", Galatians 3:26. That basic fact, whatever be our country, clime, or colour, whatever be our denomination, constitutes all Christians as "brethren" - whatever our outward differences we are all alike bound together by the tie of our individual family relationship to our Heavenly Father. But that raises an enquiry in our minds. Are we "faithful brethren"? In some human families there is little evidence of a spirit of fidelity - rancour in the home, selfish purpose of individual interests, no love, no loyalty. Can it be so among the members of the Family of GOD? Well, what about ourselves? How delightful is that opposite picture of the harmony that should prevail, wherein "whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it", 1 Corinthians 12:26. As the late beloved, epigrammatic Bishop Taylor Smith used to say, "Each for all, and all for each." While we Christians are to be helpful, so far as we may, to those outside the family, we are to be particularly mindful of the welfare of each other, "as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, and especially unto them who are of the household of faith", Galatians 6:10. "Learn first to shew piety at home", says 1 Timothy 5:4. Our apostle was glad to have evidence among the Colossian believers of family fidelity: loyalty to one another, and loyalty to the one Father. Timothy, whose name he joins with his own in addressing this letter, was just a "brother", who in spite of his delicate health, 1 Timothy 5:23, remained, through thick and thin, so loyal to his big brother, Paul. One other thing the apostle says about these Colossian friends of his - He describes them as "in Christ", Colossians 1:2. Oh yes, I know they were "at Colossae" - breathing the fetid atmosphere of this typically pagan city. How could the fair flowers of fidelity and holiness flourish in such a place? Only because they enjoyed the nearer, purer air of being "in Christ". The clever little water beetle is able to live in the muddy bed of the pond because it has the gift of weaving around itself a bubble of air. Thus it takes its own atmosphere down with it. I often invert a "let’s pretend" story of a man shipwrecked on a deset island, who, happening to have his fountain pen still in his pocket, decides to write a message on a large island leaf to send to his people. Having thrown it into the sea, he coud then only wait, and hope for the best. But, silly man, the leaf will soon be pulped and the message obliterated by the ocean. Oh, I forgot to mention that on his island he happened to find a bottle with a sealing top. So his SOS reached home, and led to his rescue, because though it was in the sea, it was in the bottle. Yes, although these Christians were in that Colossian sea of iniquity, they were kept safe and saintly because they were "in Christ". It is one of Paul’s chief inspired conceptions, so often reiterated through all his correspondence, that we are "in Him", "in the Lord", "in Christ". What amazing privilege and prediction is here! "Christ in you, the hope of glory", he says in Colossians 1:27; and now it is the other side of the blessed truth: you in CHRIST, the hope of safety. Before we finish our meditation on this brief opening of the letter, let us look at one more indication of this man’s tenderness of approach to these people - THE CHARMING NATURE OF HIS GREETINGS It was said by Dr.Johnson of Oliver Goldsmith that "he touched nothing that he did not adorn". It was in large measure true of our apostle. As we have seen, he used common words, and gave to them their true significance. He would not lightly have said, "Farewell": he would have meant from his heart, Fare well on the journey. "Good-bye" would never have been said formally, but in the fundamental sense of it, GOD-be-w’-ye. And now he dictates ordinary words of greeting, but how out-of-the ordinary ther sound on his lips. "Grace" is the Gentile salutation - and to him who was the special apostle of the Gentiles, in token whereof he had adopted his Greek name of "Paul", and who was now writing to this Gentile church of Colossae, it was only natural that he should hail them thus in their familiar way. But how much it means! GOD’s attitude as in Ephesians 2:8; GOD’s assistance, as in 1 Corinthians 15:10, GOD’s attractiveness, as in Acts 4:33. Since all this is what the word implies, what a wish it is with which to get our fellows: may this all-embracing grace be yours. "The true grace of God wherein ye stand", 1 Peter 5:12. Be it noted that in our passage this grace is connected with the first two Persons of the HOLY TRINITY - shall we say that GOD the Father is the source of it and GOD the Son is the channel of it. "Peace" is the Jewish greeting - and this man whose natural name was the Hebrew "Saul" was ever mindful of his brethren of the elect nation, who in his missionary Journeyings always in every city went first to the Jews in their synagogue, and had a deep longing for their eternal welfare, "Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to GOD for Israel is, that they might be saved", Romans 10:1. It is only to be expected that he would be happy to use the IsraelIte salutation - and to use it with all its deep intention. Look at the word. It is not a surface word, but is concerned with things and conditions underneath. It is not merely a calm spirit when all goes well - that is something easily understandable; but Christian peace is an experience "which passeth all understanding", Php 4:7. It can hold the ocean depths of a man’s soul at rest when hurricanes disturb the surface of his life. This is veritably a "peace of God" which springs from a right relationship to the "God of peace", Php 4:7; Php 4:9. GOD the Father is the embodiment of it; GOD the Son is the enduement of it. "This Man shall be the peace", Micah 5:5. In Old Testament days they had a formal greeting, often embodied in their correspondence - "Perfect peace, and at such a time," Ezra 7:12; it connoted merely, at the present time, without any particular reference to the character of the times; but what significance attaches to it, if we use it in the light of what we have been saying -that we can, even at "such a time", enjoy perfect peace. So ends Paul’s tactful approach to his readers. What a tactful man he was. And how tactful the soul-winner needs to be, lest he put off the very people that he so zealously seeks to win to GOD. Let us only beware that we become so tactful that we do nothing, and say nothing. "Full salvation! Full salvation! Lo, the fountain opened wide, Streams through every land and nation From the Saviour’s wounded side. Full salvation! Streams an endless crimson tide." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 50: 03.02. COLOSSIANS 1:3-11 -- HIS COURTEOUS ADDRESS ======================================================================== CHAPTER TWO -- HIS COURTEOUS ADDRESS, Colossians 1:3-11 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; OUR apostle now gets to the object and purpose of his writing; and he continues in that strain of the good manners of the perfect gentleman which we have already observed. He proceeds with agreeable Christian courtesy, and expresses first- HIS DELIGHT, Colossians 1:3-5 "We give thanks to GOD for you." It is to be noted that Paul strikes this note so often at the beginning of his letters, even in the case of I Corinthians, in which he is going to rebuke those Christians so severely for the low level of their lives. It is evidently his custom to look for something good in people, and he does not hesitate to give expression to it. Neither, on the other hand, does he allow these good points to blind him to the fundamental weakness and wickedness of the human heart - "there is none that doeth good. no, not one". Romans 3:12. In spite of flashes of goodness, there is fundamental badness, which needs to be dealt with - can only be dealt with - by the grace and gospel, of GOD, in whose saving efficacy Paul glories, Romans 1:16. Well, now, what are the things which he praises in this Colossian church? Their "faith". The relationship between faith, or belief, and the Lord JESUS is expressed, in the Greek, by various prepositions. in Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". it is epi, whose significance may be pictorially suggested as resting on a foundation. In Acts 20:21. "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ". we have eis, which may not unjustly be thought of as conveying the idea of coming home, to find our dwelling-place in Him - "abide in Me", John 15:4. And now here in our passage, "faith in Christ Jesus", the word is "in", as if we had come to anchor in Him - "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil", Hebrews 6:19. How infinitely blessed is the intimate relationship with Him which He has so graciously allowed our faith to secure for us - our Foundation, on which all our security rests; our Home, in which all our joys and privileges are enjoyed; our Anchor, which keeps us safely riding the storms of life. And what next? Their "love". Note that it is "the love that ye have to all the saints". It is, of course, a Christian quality, for it comes after faith, which makes them Christians in the first place. There is a kind of love whose Greek equivalent, eros, is not found in the New Testament. It is a merely physical, sensual thing, a parody of the real thing. It is the subject of so many silly, nauseating songs of to-day. No, indeed, the Bible will have nothing to do with it. There is another kind, philos, wholly admirable in its degree - one might term it family love, or the love of friends; but it is only a human affection. This, however, that Paul speaks of is agape, a divine quality. It is a complete quality, embracing "all the saints", and some even of the saints are not easily lovable. Moreover, it is a commanded quality, not something about which we can make our choice - "This is His commandment, that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment", 1 John 3:23. It is a compassable quality, therefore, since He never expects us to do what we can’t; and the secret of this attitude toward folk is given us plainly - "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us", Romans 5:5. We ought: therefore, we can: therefore, we will? Notice our verse 8, "Who hath declared unto us your love in the Spirit": there lie the Spring, and the Secret, and the Strength of this all-powerful virtue - "the fruit of the Spirit", Galatians 5:22. And now Paul cites a further cause for his thankfulness. Their "hope" The "for", meaning "through", as if this hope possessed a causal character, as if it were a part source of the love he has just been speaking of, and indeed, of the faith he mentioned in the earlier part of the paragraph. This hope is so frequently tied up with the fact of the Second Advent - "that blessed hope", as Titus 2:13 calls it. Many have accused this subject as encouraging an impractical star-gazing attitude to life; and indeed, it could minister to that outlook. in fact, that did happen in the case of some of the Thessalonian believers; and this was probably why Paul wrote his First Epistle to them, to correct this very tendency. The New Testament leaves us in no doubt that, rightly and healthily held, the doctrine of the Return of our Lord possesses an ethical value second to none among all the teachings of Holy Scripture - "through" its influence many Christian virtues flourish. This will naturally lead on to a consideration of the second theme in Paul’s mind here - HIS DECLARATION, Colossians 1:5-8 It concerns "the word of the truth of the Gospel" - a matter always uppermost in his thoughts, and which was indeed the very mainspring of all his magnificent life and service. He was "separated unto the Gospel of God", Romans 1:1 - that meant everything to this intrepid missionary adventurer. What, then, has he to say about this gospel in our present passage? It is - The original Gospel - "whereof ye heard before", 5; that is, at the first. The old gospel, as contrasted with any new-fangled gospel, such as was being propagated in certain quarters in the Colossian church. If you wanted to rouse Paul’s ire, you had only to start proclaiming a rival so-called gospel. Listen to him in Galatians 1:6-9 - "if any man preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed". Blessed intolerance! - the Gospel of Do your best. - the Gospel of accumulated merit, - the Gospel of personal worth, - the Gospel of ritual observance - away with them, and all like them. They flatter to deceive, and can never avail to save a soul. By all the repeated emphasis of Divine revelation, It is only Paul’s "gospel of the grace of God" that can accomplish the saving work. Like Jacob’s ladder it is brought within reach of man, "set up on the earth" and "it reached" to Heaven, Genesis 28:12. And when our Lord JESUS came to earth to be our Ladder to the Skies, John 1:51, thank GOD "it reached". All other ladders however attractive in themselves, fall short. The fact is that He is not "a" way to Heaven, but "the" Way, as He Himself told us, John 14:6 - the only way, the true way, the living way. The universal Gospel - "which is come unto you as it is in all the world", 6. It was this same writer who declared, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first, and also to the Greek", Romans 1:16. Down through the years it has proved itself indigenous in all lands, It has settled itself down as native to all races, it is at home in every clime and age, it has flourished in its conquests of human hearts throughout the wide world. By the way, it was when some Greeks desired to see Him that the Saviour used words that express the very heart of the Gospel, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto Me", John 12:32 - that is, not "all" without exceptlon, for that has manifestly not been so but "all" without distinction - Greeks as well as Jews. The appeal and efficacy of His atoning death is without frontiers, and will prove to have embraced "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues which stood before the throne and before the Lamb", Revelation 7:9. Oh, then, to fall in line with this mighty purpose of GOD, and to be truly missionary-hearted Christians, like this Paul himself. The vital Gospel - "bringeth forth fruit", Colossians 1:6. All that we have seen thus far has emphasized for us that the Gospel is a living force. Stories could be multiplied of instances wherein the sound, or sight, of a Gospel word, without any human explanation, has brought about the complete conversion of an erstwhile godless and careless soul. One recalls the case of a man doing some repair work high up in the old Crystal Palace building. All of a sudden, he heard distinctly words, coming seemingly from nowhere, which changed his whole life with GOD’s salvation - the words, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world", John 1:29. The story is that C. H. Spurgeon was engaged to preach at a great rally to be held at the Crystal Palace, and the previous day he went to the place to try out his voice in the great auditorium, and to test himself he just declaimed that Gospel verse, with the result we have mentioned. Many such incidents could be recounted, to demonstrate the vital "power . . . unto salvation" of this Divine good news. The personal Gospel - "which is come unto you", Colossians 1:6. Be it proclaimed to the multitude, it yet is presented to the individual. The prophetic statement of Old Testament deliverance is also a principle of New Testament salvation, "Ye shall be gathered one by one", Isaiah 27:12. "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30. "What shall I do then with Jesus?" Matthew 27:22. Well then, let this suffice for our consideration of Paul’s great declaration ofthe Gospel, and let us go on to - HIS DESIRE, Colossians 1:9-11 In his Christian courtesy, he reveals to these friends a big secret. As we have suggested, he has never seen them; and, in any case, there in Rome he is many miles, of land and sea, away from them - but he now opens his heart to them. and tells them that they are often in his mind, and better still, in his prayers, "we do not cease to pray for you", Colossians 1:9. He has heard from their friend and leader Epaphras (Colossians 1:7) of their faith, and love and hope, and so he lets them know that, because he is well aware of the enervating influences of a heathen atmosphere, as in Colossae, he is giving himself continually to prayer for them, that those estimable qualities may be deepened, and strengthened. And, tell me: what better could anyone do for another than to pray for them? To the end, therefore, of their well-being, he opens his heart to them, and reveals to them the pattern of his prayers, his "desire" for them. Note the recurrence of that word "all" - which almost appears to indicate what is the complete Christian. "All wisdom", Colossians 1:9. (a) The "knowledge" here referred to is not of a merely formal or superficial kind, but of a deeper, more thorough sort, since a prepositional addition is made to the simple word here, which indicates this. (b) It is, further, spiritual knowledge that Paul’s prayer seeks for them, "spiritual understanding", as he calls it. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened", he puts it, in Ephesians 1:18. (c) It is, indeed, a growing knowledge - "increasing in the knowledge", he says. Are we growing thus? in "the knowledge of His will" - for ourselves, for the Kingdom, and for things at large. All this is to be had by a continual study of His will as revealed in His Word, until, in ever-widening measure, "we have the mind of Christ", 1 Corinthians 2:16. A deeper aspect of Christian knowledge now emerges - "the knowledge of God": not merely of His things, even of His will, but of Himself. The acquaintance with people generally proceeds in orderly sequence. (a) First, there is Introduction - and this came to us when first we came to CHRIST. How interesting is the story of Peter’s introduction to Him, John 1:40-42. Have we, then, been introduced? (b) Then, there is to be Increase - the theme of our present meditation. We see it developing in Peter from the time when the Master came to him subsequently, and called him to "Follow Me", Matthew 4:19. (c) All which can lead up to Intimacy - so beautifully demonstrated in Peter’s case, along with his two fellow-apostles, James and John, in Jairus’ house, on the Transfiguration Mount, and in the Gethsemane garden. Let us make no mistake, the Lord has no favourites, but He has intimates, who are prepared to pay the cost in absolute devotion, and complete consecration. You will recall that, in Php 3:10, the apostle tells us that in his pursuance of knowledge, his chief ambition was, "that I may know Him". Such close fellowship and understanding embodies "all wisdom", indeed! "All pleasing," Colossians 1:10. We affirm that it is no necessary mark of high spirituality that we are unpleasing to the worldlings. Rather, let us, within Christian limits, hope to be popular with our fellows, and seek to use such "pleasing" to make an impact upon them for GOD. Yet we must keep our eyes open to the lurking danger of such a popularity - lest in winning the world’s smile we come to lose the LORD’s smile, which means everything to the earnest Christian. When Paul is writing under the figure of the Christian as a soldier, he brings out this point when he says, "No man that warreth [that is, is engaged in active service] entangleth himself with the affairs of this life [that is, ordinary and civil life, seeing there’s a war on], that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier", 2 Timothy 2:4. If he can please others, well and good; but his chief and over-riding loyalty must be to his Sovereign, "that he may please Him". Such "all pleasing" is to be secured by our "walk", that is to be worthy of Him, in all we do, and are; and by our "work", which is to be worth-while, good, and serviceable to the Kingdom. Self-pleasing is, of course, right out of court for a Christian. "All might," Colossians 1:11. Comes next in our contemplation of this complete Christian. Whenever we come across a description of what a believer’s character and conduct are to be like, we are inclined to be halted by such high demands. A worthy walk, and a worth-while work - yes, indeed; but how? Let us ever bear this in mind as a principle of the spiritual life, that "If God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to", Exodus 18:23. in other words, if I know that I ought, I know that I can. "All might" is available to me, so that "I can do all things [He requires] through Christ which strengtheneth me", Php 4:13. So does our passage answer our trembling "How?" Note that it is a continuous power - "strengtheneth" is a present participle, being strengthened - it goes on, ever at our disposal. Moreover, it is a sufficient power - "according to His glorious power": we might render the phrase, "up to the limit of His power". I fancy that, however great our need, it will never exceed that limit. In another place, our apostle changes the metaphor to say, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus", Php 4:19 - His blank cheque to be drawn on the inexhaustible account in the Bank of Heaven. Surely we need never live spiritually bankrupt lives when such limitless resources are ours for the taking. We should be living as princes, not as paupers. What relief, then, and what rejoicing, comes with the realisation that for all Divine calls upon us we have "all might" to draw on. "All patience," Colossians 1:11. That means Christian stickability: the power to keep on keeping on. We shall have temptations to give up: - the allurements of the world; - the weakness of our resolve; - the frequency of our failures; these, and other things, may tend to undermine our resistance. So Paul prays that these Colossian believers may have the grace of perseverance. It was an outstanding quality in an Old Testament saint, "Daniel purposed . . . and Daniel continued", Daniel 1:8; Daniel 1:21. It was an outstanding quality in the first New Testament saints, who "continued stedfastly", Acts 2:42. Be it ours also to display a like tenacity - and that, not in a temper of grim and glum resignation, but "with joyfulness". What a grand note to finish on! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 51: 03.03. COLOSSIANS 1:12-29 -- HIS MAIN EMPHASIS ======================================================================== CHAPTER THREE -- HIS MAIN EMPHASIS Colossians 1:12-29 THE passage is so full that we cannot deal with all the points and matters raised; but we shall not go far wrong lf we say that the great theme throughout is CHRIST. That, after all, is the subject of the whole Bible. Certain native Christians used to call it the "JESUS Book" - a beautifully instinctive assessment of its contents. (1) in the Old Testament, we have Preparation, for His coming. (2) in the Gospels, we have Presentation, He has come, here He is. (3) in the Acts, we have Proclamation, the message of the Gospel of His grace and salvation. (4) in the Epistles, we have Personification, "for me to live is Christ". (5) in the Revelation, we have Predomination, the Lamb on the throne. Yes, the whole book is, fundamentally, about Him. Open the volume where you will, and you will find Him. An Ethiopian is puzzling over an abstruse passage in Isaiah 53:1-12 about a lamb being led to the slaughter. He can’t understand what it means; but Philip, "beginning at that same Scnpture, preached unto him Jesus", Acts 8:35. Our Lord overtakes two grief-stricken disciples who are mystified at the death of their beloved Master and Friend, and resolves their problem, "beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself", Luke 24:27. In the light of all this, we are not surprised to learn that, in this passage now before us, the theme, and stress, is about Him. THE UNIQUENESS OF HIS BEING Look down at those verses Colossians 1:15-18, and note some of the descriptive names given to CHRIST. "The Image," Colossians 1:15. "No man hath seen God at any time" 1 John 4:12 reminds us. Do you recall how, when Moses asked to see GOD’s glory, the Almighty replied, "Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me and live", Exodus 33:20? By the way, when, in Genesis 32:30, Jacob said, "I have seen GOD face to face, and my life is preserved", I suggest that it was GOD the Son that he referred to, who, in coming to wrestle with the patriarch, assumed one of His pre-incarnation appearances, of which there are so many in the Old Testament; for He was the very Image of GOD. Do we wish to know what GOD is like? We may so do, for "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father", John 14:9, said our Lord JESUS. And how moving it is to realise that we, too, may, in our measure, come to some degree of resemblance to Him - "we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of God, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord", 2 Corinthians 3:18. One day we shall be perfectly like Him, "we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is", 1 John 3:2; but meanwhile we seek, through obedience to the Word, and to the SPIRIT, a growing likeness down here. But, oh miracle of the Advent, that such as we shall be such as He! King Charles wrote a book-or, as some say, his chaplain wrote it - which was called "Eikon Basilike", the Image of a King, setting forth the prime qualities of kingly character and behaviour. Unfortunately he did not fulfil, in his own person, the high ideals of his book. For ourselves, as Christians, Romans 5:17 says "They shall reign in life": we have the name, is our personality the same? Is there anything kingly about our character? "The First-born," Colossians 1:15. The name accords Him the priority. We look round upon "every creature", every created thing, and we know He was there first. The description seems to cling to Him. At His incarnation, it is recorded that "she brought forth her first-born Son", Luke 2:7. There were other children of Mary, as we learn from Matthew 13:55-56, but He was first. Of His resurrection, our passage speaks of Him as "the first-born from the dead", Colossians 1:18. Others were, before Him, miraculously brought back from the dead, but they all died again eventually -- they were not true resurrections but resuscitations. His was the first real rising for ever, "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more", Romans 6:9. Yes, His is the priority: should He not also be Priority No. 1 in every Christian’s life? But our phrase also carries the idea of superiority. in speaking of Him, John the Baptist says, not only that "He was before me", in priority, but that He "is preferred before me", in superiority, John 1:30. Superior in moral splendour, superior in saving power, superior in practical guidance, superior in transforming influence, superior in gracious friendship, John 15:14. Shall we not also "prefer" Him to all other people and things, "the chiefest among ten thousand", Song of Solomon 5:10? But we have not yet done with His uniqueness. "The Creator", Colossians 1:16. "By Him were all things created." Yes; but look back to Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created": the word for the Deity is "Elohim", a plural word, which is said by the commentators to be understood as the plural of majesty - as a king speaks of himself in his proclamations as "we"; but is it not more than that? Can we not see in it the plural of trinity: GOD, at the very start of His revelation to man, introducing Himself as the Trinity in the Unity - a matter never discussed nor explained, anywhere in the Bible, but always assumed and taken for granted. Our finite minds could not, as yet, understand this infinite truth, therefore GOD has not disclosed it; but, as Robert Browning says - "GOD, stooping, Shews sufficient of His light For us to rise by - and I rise!" Well now, it is clear that all Three Persons are concerned with the great enterprise of Creation. (1) God created - GOD the Father was in it. (2) "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters", Genesis 1:2 - GOD the Spirit was in it. (3) "All things were made by Him", John 1:3 - GOD the Son was in it; GOD "the Word" (cf. "God said", Genesis 1:3). Our Lord, it would seem, was, in that early dispensation, the Executive of the Godhead. Is that why He so frequently comes to the aid of men in His preincarnation appearances, as to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Balaam and others? We would say that in this present Age, the HOLY SPIRIT is the Executive of the Godhead. To return to our passage, there is particular point in Paul’s reference to our Lord as the Creator. A certain false teaching, called Gnosticism, is being propagated in Colossian church circles. It would appear that it was to counteract this that Epaphras had gone to Rome to consult Paul, as we suggested in our first chapter. The basis of this heresy was that they held the inherent evil of matter, and that, therefore, the entirely holy GOD could not directly have created nor touched it. The only way for Him to act in the affair was to work through a descending and deteriorating series of agencies, angels, if you like, which these teachers called "aeons". It is easy to see what havoc all this would wreak upon the Bible revelation if the bundle of errors were accepted. So Paul, master-tactician that he was, loses no time in stating explicitly, and categorically, that "all things were created by Him", definitely and directly. And it would seem that His creative activity will be evidenced also in the Age of the New Jerusalem, for "Behold, I make all things new," Revelation 21:5. And it is certainly at work in this Age in the hearts and lives of men, for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature", 2 Corinthians 5:17. A Creator, indeed! "The Head," Colossians 1:18. "He is the Head of the body." Under what impulses, instructions, and influences does your body function? The answer is, of course, clear to us all: the direction of all our movement, whether of the body as a whole, or of any particular part, comes from the brain, the head. Under the figure of the body corporate, the church - "the blessed company of all faithful people", as the Prayer Book defines it - is taught to look upon CHRIST as the Instigator and Controller of all its actions, whether as the company, or as individuals. Each believer has a privileged place in the body, and a specific function therein - "ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular", 1 Corinthians 12:27. Some are there for manual work - "the hand"; some for pedal work - "the foot"; some for optical work - "the eye"; some for aural work - "the ear"; some even for nasal work - else "where were the smelling?" verse Colossians 1:17; there are people whose olfactory nerve is highly sensitive, who have a rare sense of smell for detecting false doctrine - very useful members of the body! Not least so in this Colossian church, now threatened with infection. Our main point here is that every member is to be motivated and moved by the Head. May none of us become paralysed limbs, but be quick to respond to the dictates of the Head - "that in all things He might have the pre-eminence". Now, in following Paul’s emphasis, we consider - THE UPSHOT OF HIS WORK "Redemption," Colossians 1:12-14. (a) The price of it, "through His blood". Some people seem to think that we have to pay for our redemption, while all the time it has already been paid for. No amount of good deeds, no reckoning of good character, could avail to purchase our redemption - "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us," Titus 3:5. We do not earn it as "wages," we receive it as "the gift of God," Romans 6:23. (b) The pardon of it - "even the forgiveness of sins": blessed release from an evil conscience, and an eternal doom. This is, of course, the first upshot of His work of redemption. The primary nature of this blessing is, as we know, strikingly illustrated in the familiar story of the man sick of the palsy (poor fellow, we are not surprised that he was sick of it). Before ever the Master dealt with his body, He went down to the fundamental need of his soul. "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee," Matthew 9:2. Was it that his illness was caused by sin; or was it that, lying so long on his bed, he had had time to think, and had become convicted of his sinfulness? It would seem that he was worrying about that; and that he would have been "of good cheer," even if he had gone back without bodily healing. Yes, His forgiveness is our prime necessity. Another thing. (c) The positive side of it - "the inheritance," Colossians 1:12; "the kingdom," Colossians 1:13. Believers are privileged indeed, seeing that they are negatively, brought out, and, positively, brought in. "He brought us out, that He might bring us in,"Deuteronomy 6:23. We have a share in a glorious inheritance along with all the believers in Him who is "the Light," John 8:12, together with all such who have passed on into the Eternal Light beyond - an inheritance comprising all the joys, all the blessings, all the riches that are in CHRIST for Here, and for Hereafter. "If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," Romans 8:17. But are we indeed "meet," to be partakers of such bounty? No; not in the sense of being worthy of it. but the word properly means "qualified" - not on our own account, but by His infinite mercy, and sovereign grace, we are qualified to be beneficiaries of His so blessed Will and Testament. And further, we have a place in a wondrous kingdom. "Translated" from the rebellious and dark sway of the usurper into the all-blessed realm of Him "whose right it is" to reign, Ezekiel 21:27, a kingdom of "righteousness, and peace, and joy," Romans 14:17. Blessed are the subjects of such a Sovereign. "Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants," 1 Kings 10:8, said Sheba’s queen to King Solomon. Thrice happy they who serve "a greater than Solomon". Matthew 12:42. But stay a moment: we say a lot, and sing a lot about His kingship, but, as a matter of fact, is it a reality in our own lives? Many years ago there was a great conference in Liverpool of the Student Volunteer Missionary Union. At the last moment an expected delegation of students from Japan found it impossible to come, so they sent a message, which thrilled the great gathering; it consisted of three words, "Make JESUS King". That summer a brilliant young Cambridge undergraduate, Russell Darbyshire, who afterwards became Archbishop of Capetown, was leading the seaside services of the Children’s Special Service Mission at Swan age, and wrote for them a special chorus - "Make JESUS King, through Him we shall live. Our souls and our bodies to Him we will give. His praises we’ll sing, and others we’ll bring Till the whole of creation shall make JESUS King." One added thing is mentioned here. as part of the outcome of His work. "Reconciliation," Colossians 1:20-23. (a) "All things." Colossians 1:20. To grasp the real significance of this verse, I think we must go back to the dramatic happening of Genesis 3:1-24, where we find that, in consequence of man’s Fall, the whole universe was put out of joint. The vegetable realm was, for the first time, invaded by weeds. "thorns and thistles". Colossians 1:18 - awaiting the day of reconciliation, when "instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree". Isaiah 55:13. The animal world shall exchange its domestic tameness, as observed when "GOD . . . brought every beast of the field unto Adam, to see what he would call them", for the fierceness which so many now possess, until the day of reconciliation, when "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain". Isaiah 65:25. "For the earnest expectation of the creatures waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of GOD" Romans 8:19-22. And all this reconcilement is, be it noted. "through the Blood of His cross". The malady is the consequence of sin; and the Blood, the salvation from sin, will be the remedy whereby the maladjusted joints of the natural world shall be set right again. (b) "And you." Colossians 1:21. Enemies that we were, He "died for us" (Romans 5:10), and through that death "reconciled us to GOD" which holy estate is ours if "we have now received the reconciliation," verse Romans 5:11, in which latter case, He has entrusted us with the privilege and responsibility of bearing to others the "word," the message of reconciliation, as "ambassadors", speaking in His Name. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Let us, then. "continue" (back to Colossians 1:23) to hold and proclaim that faith. so that He shall never have to reprove us for fostering, and furthering another "gospel". Well now, can we ever be too thankful for all that His redemption, and His reconciliation, through His precious Blood, means for us? Shall not our gratitude be shewn in -: THE UNDERTAKING OF HIS SERVICE The Lord CHRIST is still the prevailing theme of our passage; and here the apostle unfolds for us the duty and delight of serving Him. Not that that service was ever easy for him. Over and over again he calls himself, and is proud to call himself, "a servant [bond-slave] of Jesus Christ," e.g.. Romans 1:1. and that figure implies an "all-in" energy. and an "all-out" endeavour for the Master "whose service is", for all that, "perfect freedom," as the Prayer Book has it. Listen, then, to this outstanding labourer. 1 Corinthians 15:10. while he commends to us - A readiness to suffer. Colossians 1:24. There is something very difficult in this verse. What does Paul mean by "fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ"? It just cannot mean that the apostle thinks of himself as supplementing anything lacking in the Saviour’s atoning suffering. That would be wholly contrary to his teaching about the completeness and sufficiency of the Calvary offering, as it would also be contrary to the Master’s own triumphant cry, "It is finished," John 19:30. No! Greatly daring, in the face of the scholars, I am going to venture to say what I think. May we not paraphrase the verse, "Fulfil what yet remains of the appointed tale of afflictions that I must suffer for CHRIST’S sake. and for the advancement of His church". One cannot help recalling that prognostication of the Master’s concerning him at the time of his conversion, "I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My Name’s sake," Acts 9:16. Was he, then, made aware of what was to befall him in the service of the One whose Name he had so violently persecuted, and which now he was so earnestly to proclaim? And was he now aware, as he wrote from his imprisonment, that the limit had not yet been reached? Of all this it is difficult to be sure; but one thing is quite certain, that this intrepid missionary was ready, even joyfully ready, to "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ," 2 Timothy 2:3. And yet some of us - weaklings that we are - curl up at the very thought of what others may think, or say, or do! Is there one of us who is not amazed at the catalogue of sufferings that Paul records in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; and are there not some of us who have almost a feeling of shame that our allegiance to CHRIST has cost us so little? Are we, then, ready, if needs be. to suffer for His Name? A readiness to spread the news, Colossians 1:28. When, in verse Colossians 1:23, he speaks of the Gospel being preached to "every creature," he is not thinking along the lines of Francis of Assisi preaching to the birds. He means, every kind of creature - that is, every kind of person. We find persons as creatures, for example, in 2 Corinthians 5:17. He has the widest conception of the Gospel’s reach - "every man . . . every man . . . every man". To that end, he surely must have been one of the most prolific travellers of his time - and no cars no trains, no planes. "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome," Romans 1:15. He was always anxious to get to that Imperial City, the very hub of the then world. He was a great strategist, and spent so much of his tireless energy in big, metropolitan towns, from which the influence could reach out to many directions near and far. But oh! for Rome. Well, GOD promised him that, "Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome," Acts 23:2. Yet, how differently was the witness eventually given from what the apostle imagined. In Rome, yes; but in prison - but how faithfully and fruitfully the witness was borne, through his correspondence (as this very letter to Colossians), and through his many contacts. Are we as eager to spread the Good Tidings? That great missionary, the late Mildred Cable used to tell us that the greatest crime of the desert was to know where water was and not to tell it. One’s mind travels back to far Samaria where four erstwhile desperately hungry men were revelling in an unexpected feast, and suddenly paused, and thought of starving people in the city, "We do not well; this is a day of good tidings [a Gospel Day], and we hold our peace," 2 Kings 7:9. Do we? Or are we keen to get to dying souls news of the Bread of Life, the Water of Life? A readiness to strive hard. Colossians 1:29. "Labour" is the word he uses. Among the ranks of the Christians there are workers and shirkers. There is no doubt of the category to which Paul belonged. He was so imbued with the HOLY SPIRIT that "he could no other". Notice his explanation, "striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily". After all, it is always the inner that governs the outer - and it little avails us to try to whip our energy to work harder for GOD. That may succeed for a moment, but it will soon exhaust itself, and we shall revert to "tepid" again. Paul’s enthusiasm abides, and abounds. Why? Listen to him, "I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me," 1 Corinthians 15:10. Listen again: "the love of CHRIST constraineth us," 2 Corinthians 5:14. And here in our passage, "His working. . . in me". All this is the motive-power-inward, and God-ward: and therefore is available for us all. Let us, then, be up and doing. "Son, go work today in My vineyard," Matthew 21:28. "Be strong . . . and work, for I am with you," Haggai 2:4. Thus, for all the service expected of us we can rely upon- THE UTTERMOST OF HIS GRACE Here is what Paul calls a "mystery," a word which, in the New Testament, does not bear the connotation that we usually attach to it. Rather does it indicate a something shrouded but awaiting disclosure: the unveiling has now come. "The mystery which has been hid from ages . . . but now is made manifest to the saints," Colossians 1:26. When our apostle speaks as he does of "the riches of this mystery," Colossians 1:27, I think he refers first to the wealth of the mercy and grace of the GOD who conceived and revealed such a wonderful proposition; and then to the wealth of spiritual experience wrapped up in the matter - the uttermost grace of the Giver; the uttermost grace for the Recipient. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good thing," 2 Corinthians 9:8. So what more do you want? Yes; but what is this mystery that means so much to us? In three monosyllables - multum in parvo - it is, "CHRIST in you," Colossians 1:27. - See that poker grown hot in the flames - the poker is in the fire; yes, but the fire in the poker. - Look at that bath - the sponge in the water; yes, but the water in the sponge. - Think of yourself - the body in the air; yes, but the air in the body. Turn to John 15:4 - "abide in Me, and I in you". And now in this very Epistle the writer, using one of His favourite phrases, speaks of believers as being "in Christ," Colossians 1:2; while here in our passage it is "Christ in you" - in Him, for your salvation; - in you, for your full salvation, with all the "riches" applied in such amazing grace. We do not wonder that in this portion, as through every part of the Letter, Paul’s chief emphasis is CHRIST - and that the sum and stress of it all is that of Galatians 2:20, "Christ liveth in me". "Oh, the glorious revelation! See the cleansing current flow, Washing stains of condemnation Whiter than the driven snow: Full salvation! Oh, the rapturous bliss to know." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 52: 03.04. COLOSSIANS 2:1-10 -- HIS ADVICE ON ADVANCE ======================================================================== CHAPTER FOUR -- HIS ADVICE ON ADVANCE Colossians 2:1-10 THERE are three "gets" for the Christian life - Get out, from sin; Get in, to life in CHRIST; Get on, in full salvation in Him. Our present passage deals with this third. For the underlying truth here is progress - pilgrim’s progress, if you like. For Christianity is a "going" concern. Think of the Master’s three "go’s". "Go home to thy friends, and tell them," Mark 5:19. "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city . . . into the highways and hedges, and compel [persuade] people to come in," Luke 14:21; Luke 14:23. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," Mark 16:15. There is, of course, a legitimate time for pause - to seek rest, or repair, or recuperation, or re-commissioning. You get a typological illustration of that in the case of the children of Israel at the Red Sea, where, through Moses, GOD gave them two commands. First, "Stand still"; second, "Go forward," Exodus 14:13; Exodus 14:15. The first only a preparation for the second. So, though at times the Christian will wisely stand still, he is never to come to a standstill. Says Hebrews 6:1, "Let us go on" . Yes, let us! WHEN WE SHALL BEGIN "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him," Colossians 2:6. (a) "Ye have" - the Epistle is addressed to Christians. You might as well tell a chair to walk whose legs are lifeless as tell a non-Christian to do so whose soul, as yet, is dead. But if "ye have," then ye can, and should. (b) "Received" - that seems to be the New Testament’s normal way of indicating our side of the saving transaction, as tantamount to that other word, so often used, believe. "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name," John 1:12. Have you received Him as your own Saviour? Perhaps you say you are not sure, you can’t put your finger on any specific moment? Well, do you believe on Him, trust Him, as your Saviour? You do? Same thing! "Ye have!" (c) "the Lord" - let us never forget that He comes not only to be the Saviour of our soul, but also the Lord of our life - in complete control of those whom He has "bought with a price," 1 Corinthians 6:20, His blood-purchased possession, for His use, and His glory. WHAT WE SHALL BECOME Good learners, Colossians 2:2-3. Here is envisaged a group of students "knit together" in a common purpose to pursue their studies in their richly rewarding subject. The classroom is pervaded by a beautiful atmosphere, a spirit of love - love for their fellow scholars, love for their studies, love for their Master. The apostle writes that they may be "comforted," that is, encouraged, in their pursuit. The aim, then, is that they may have "all riches of the full assurance of understanding" - a difficult phrase, which Moffatt calls, "all the wealth of conviction that comes from insight". These people have got to combat the insidious false teaching that is being spread around, and something more is needed than the mere intellectual assent to the true doctrine - there must be a real and deep conviction of the truth if they are to do battle against error. Is it not always so, even for us in out day and generation. for we, too, are bidden to "fight the good fight of faith," 1 Timothy 6:12, and to "hold fast the form of sound words," 2 Timothy 1:13. We take up the formula of our Creed, the epitome of "the faith," and, clause by clause, we declare our belief therein. Do we accept these statements merely because they have been handed down to us, and it has become little more than a routine habit to acknowledge them? in that event, we shall not have much inclination to "hold fast" to them, in the face of some questioning, nor to "fight" for them against the onslaughts of disbelief. Perhaps we have gone further. We have sought to examine these things in the light of modern scholarship, and are satisfied in our own minds that they are true. Good, so far as it goes; but it could be but a cold agreement of the mind. We shall not speak lightly of this attitude: the mind assuredly has its part to play - but something further is here called for. Through the frame of orthodoxy there needs to flow the red, pulsating blood of conviction, such a growing "understanding" of what lies behind, and within, these truths as shall capture the ardent enthusiasm of our whole being. Such a man will prove himself a faithful custodian, "I have kept the faith," and a doughty warrior, "I have fought the good fight," 2 Timothy 4:7. Our apostle continues, "the acknowledgement of the mystery," or, as again Moffatt has it, "the open secret". What is this, once so hidden, and now so open? It would seem to refer to some relationship for this Age between GOD the Father, and GOD the Son, as if, in the counsels of the Triune GOD, it were determined that CHRIST should be for us the all-embracing Repository, as Divine Representative of the Deity, of all that we Christians can need, "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Colossians 2:3. What a wondrous casket for all seekers after the knowledge of all the What, and the How, of the Christian life. Here, then, is advance, progress in knowledge - "then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord," Hosea 6:3. Good walkers, Colossians 2:6. How splendidly some people walk; how slovenly, others. This Epistle exhorts all true believers to "walk in Him". It is interesting to observe how frequently the walk is used to describe the Christian life. As we have noted earlier, the Christian life is not a sedentary occupation, but a pedestrian affair, a walk-often, a running; on rare occasions, even a flying, Isaiah 40:31. If now we "walk in Him," we shall certainly "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us," Ephesians 5:2. - We shall "walk as children of light," Ephesians 5:8, following Him who is "the Light". - We shall "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called," Ephesians 4:1 - like as a soldier would walk according to military tradition. - We shall "walk in truth," 3 John 1:4, avoiding all pitfalls of error. - We shall "walk in wisdom toward them that are without" Colossians 4:5, lest that by anything we say, anything we do, anything. we are, we should prove a stumbling block to any outslde the fold. And, as the secret of it all, - We shall "walk in the SPIRIT," Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:25. He will be if we let Him, the motive power, the driving force, seeing that "ye shall receive power after that the HOLY GHOST is come upon you," Acts 1:8. Before we leave this point, let us note that our walk is to be "in Him". What a difference atmosphere makes to our walking. How sprightly we become on a clear, bright morning, how lackadaisical we often are when the day is heavy and murky. Our Lord is here presented to us as our enveloping atmosphere, and our Intimate environment, "for in Him we live, and move and have our being," Acts 17:28 - so especially and exactly true of all believers. Good trees. Colossians 2:7. More than once godly folk are spoken of under the imagery of a tree. "He shall be like a tree," says Psalms 1:3, and goes on to catalogue some of the attractive features of it. Its fountain - "planted by the rivers of water" so that its roots draw into itself needful nourishment and maintain in it that continual freshness which may be the happy experience of us all. Its fruit, "that bringeth forth his fruit in his season," the seasonable and delectable "fruit of the SPIRIT," Galatians 5:22, which the Heavenly Husbandman ever labours, and delights to see - fruit more fruit; much fruit; lasting fruit, John 15:2-5; John 15:8, John 15:16. Its foliage, "his leaf also shall not wither," giving abiding beauty of character to the tree, since "He will beautify the meek with salvation," Psalms 149:4. Also, the thick foliage will afford shelter to many a weary traveller. Ideally, and prophetically, and we, too, in our degree, are in Isaiah 32:2, where "A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind . . . as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock [shall we say, a great tree] in a weary land". Happy the man who becomes a shelterer of others from the heats and hazards of life. Furthermore, do you recall this, "that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified," Isaiah 61:3? It is from His planting that the tree’s promise flows. I heard on the radio the other day that on inheriting a great estate in Ireland, Lord Kilbracken planted there hundreds and hundreds of trees. The Lord of Heaven is a supremely great tree-planter. Has He planted us? Then are we making progress, "rooted in Him"? By the way, what a difference soil makes to growth. And don’t forget to tend those roots. I lived in a certain vicarage for fifteen years which had a pear tree in the garden; but never a respectable pear did it yield me all that time. I am no gardener; but my successor was - and, strange to relate, he had a bumper crop his very first year! Why? He went at the roots, which I was too ignorant to do. That’s it! take care of the roots, the secret connection with the Soil - the Quiet Time with GOD, and the use of His appointed means of grace - the Word; the Footstool; the Table; the Worship; the Work, "that ye may grow thereby," 1 Peter 2:2, and "that He might be glorified": not we, but He. May we not be stunted trees. Good buildings. Colossians 2:7. Speaking humanly, Paul exhausts his very considerable powers of metaphor to indicate the variety, vitality, and virility of the Christian life; and here is one more figure: the believer is to be as a building. The Foundation - "built up in Him". What a difference foundation makes to a house, as is so plainly illustrated in the Master’s "let’s pretend" story of the two houses in Matthew 7:24-27. The Sand House may very well have been just as attractive, just as comfortable, as Rock House: the trouble was that it was ill-founded, and so ill-fated when the storm broke. The Fashion - the happy style of the building in our passage is fairly deduced from the words here, "abounding therein with thanksgiving". Gladness opens the door of welcome, as if the mouth should utter a shout of praise. Joy streams out of the windows, as if the eyes shone to betray the grateful spirit within. Yes, the Christian may be, should be, as a building happy in the presence of its true Lord. Of a certain dwelling it was once said, "It was noised that He was in the house," Mark 2:1. May it ever be so with the building of our lives. The Finish - of that building is not here indicated; but may it not be inferred from the statement that this person is "stablished in the faith"? For He Himself has laid the foundation - indeed, is Himself the Foundation Stone - "To whom coming, as unto a living stone. . . ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house," 1 Peter 2:4-5. But what of the hypothetical person of whom the Master sadly records, "This man began to build, and was not able to finish," Luke 14:30? The substructure was well and truly laid; but the superstructure never materialised. We should call him now a backslider, the object only of pity; oh yes, also of prayer. May any such be quickly restored, after the old promise of GOD, "I will heal their backsliding," Hosea 14:4. And after the backsliding may they return to the upbuilding again: this time to a truly happy finish. So, then, here is advance, progress, in all directions - in knowledge, in life, in fruit, in character. And now- WHAT WE SHOULD BEWARE "Enticing words," Colossians 2:4 - persuasive speech. The apostle is far removed from those Christians in body; but he is right alongside them in spirit. He is well aware of the danger lurking in their midst, and of the insidious nature of the enemy propaganda. We observe his anxiety for them, lest by these specious approaches they should be "beguiled" away from the truth. We observe, however, his joy that they have thus far stood firm, "joying and beholding your order and stedfastness of your faith in CHRIST". It is a military figure that he uses: they have maintained a solid front in the face of the "enticing words" of the enemy agents. What a lure such speech can be in the undermining of the unwary, either by the soft speech of the heretical protagonist, or by the books they try to sell on your doorstep. One of the difficulties that some Christians have in meeting these approaches is that the literature contains so much of the Bible. Of course it does; Christian people would not listen otherwise. That is how they are caught. But we recall Shakespeare’s sage remark, that "the devil can quote Scripture to his purpose". But he then overreaches himself, by misquotation and misapplication, as his effort in our LORD’s temptation shews, if we compare Matthew 4:6 with Psalms 91:11-12. Of Satan’s emissaries the Psalmist says, "every day they wrest my words," Psalms 56:5. Does not the Lord speak through him? Indeed, Peter, in speaking of Paul’s Epistles, says, "in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction," 2 Peter 3:16. That is just what these folk do: they wrest the Scriptures - wrest them out of their context, and so wrest them out of their meaning. By the way, the first thing to do with these doorstep hawkers is to challenge them on 1 John 4:2-3, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus is Christ come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not . . . is not of God". In other words, the prime test is the acknowledgment of the full Deity of the incarnate Saviour. Not enough that He be held to be a great teacher, or the best man ever - to grant Him anything less than absolute Deity is "anti-christ". Start there, and you will soon be able to shut the door. But beware of their "enticing words". "Philosophy and vain deceit" Colossians 2:8. We have a kindred warning where Paul is telling his protege to avoid "oppositions of science falsely so called," 1 Timothy 6:20. The apostle was a university-trained man, a great brain, and widely read, which is why he was able to attract an educated man like Dr. Luke, as well as those of a humbler sort. He would be the last man to decry the importance and value of philosophy and science as such. It is only their vagaries away from the truth that he is tilting against, and warning of. A science that forgets that its realm is ever advancing, and therefore is not unchanging, is "falsely so called"; but, on the other hand, how vastly true science has contributed to our comprehension of our world, and to our conception of the might and majesty of our GOD. Let not us Evangelicals be afraid of science truly so called, in the long run, and in increasing measure, it will not prove in conflict with the revelation of the Scriptures, but will, rather, confirm the same. As for philosophy, there is a kind, an atheistic school, that leaves GOD out of its reckoning, and is therefore a "vain deceit," since it leaves Him out who is the Chief Factor in the Argument. Rather shall GOD have the central place in our thinking, after the pattern of John Milton’s philosophy, as in his Paradise Lost, "Spirit of GOD, What is dark in me illumine, What is low raise and support, That, to the height of this great argument, I may assert eternal providence, And justify the ways of GOD to men." Be that your aim, your theme, O ye philosophers, and we will gladly and gratefully welcome your helping our thinking in the ways of truth. That other kind will only "spoil you," they will make spoil of you, since it rules out all that is of GOD, and "after Christ," and confines itself exclusively to the teachings of men, "after the rudiments of the world" - stoicheia, the childish things, the A.B.C. of the world’s "vain," empty, account of things. Beware, says the apostle, of being made captive ("spoil") by any such system of thought. The downgrading of GOD’s creative activity, as taught by the Gnosticism of the time, against which this Epistle is, in part, written as an antidote, is a signal example of such puerile vanity. And now:- WHEN WE DO BELONG The passage we have been studying has, in the main, a twofold theme - first, the progress we are expected to make, if we have begun in the Christian life; second, the dangers that inevitably lie in the pathway of that advance in the two closing verses, Colossians 2:9-10, the HOLY SPIRIT leads Paul to make two statements which will assure our hearts of the possibility of that advance, and avoidance. "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Colossians 2:9. That is eternally true, for He was, is, ever will be, in all respects, fully GOD. As the Athanasian Creed puts it "The Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal". In all the calls, the claims, and the consequences of the Christian life, we believers have to do with One who is fully GOD, and who is therefore fully capable of undertaking all our affairs and necessities. So this Paul is able to claim, "I can do all things [required of me] through Christ which strengtheneth me," Php 4:13. What a comfort! "Ye are complete in Him," Colossians 2:10. So fully and completely do we belong that the apostle, even in this brief passage, three times over refers to us as being "in Him." We might state the matter grammatically in the form of a syllogism:- (a) Fulness is in Him. (b) We are in Him. (c) Fulness is for us - not for us, of course, the fulness of Divine Godhead; but the fulness of Christian Manhood. That word "complete" is a picture word in the Greek. They tell me that it holds the idea of a ship fully rigged, and equipped, for the voyage. So is it applicable to the Christian voyaging forth on the ocean of life. "In Him" - is the - the Captain, in charge of the vessel; - the Chart, of the Word, to be consulted daily; - the Compass, of the conscience, regulated, educated by the Word; - the Commissariat, food for the journey, from the stores of the Word; - the Crew, of our fellow-travellers, working our passage, seeing that we have nothing with which to pay for the trip; - the Conquest, of His indwelling presence and power, seeing that we are not as barges, having to be towed by others on the bank, nor are we as sailing ships, depending on the favourable winds of comfortable circumstance for our progress, but we are as liners, that have the power of their engines within to triumph over waves and storms. "CHRIST in you." The Colour, of our unashamed allegiance to Him to whom the ship belongs. Once the colour was the Skull and Crossbones of the rebel vessel; now it is the White Ensign, as a Flag-ship of the Divine Admiral of the Fleet. The Coming into Port - for "so He bringeth them unto their desired haven," Psalms 107:30. This is progress indeed, this is Full Salvation. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 53: 03.05. COLOSSIANS 2:11-23 -- HIS WARNING OF SNARES ======================================================================== CHAPTER FIVE -- HIS WARNING OF SNARES Colossians 2:11-23 YES. more warnings, for Paul, like a true pastor, is deeply anxious about the safety and the welfare of the flock. It appears, from the first verse of this chapter, that he had not visited Colossae, and that, therefore, these Christians were not his children in the faith. I would think that Epaphras, their founder and leader, Colossians 1:7, was one of Paul’s converts, and that these believers had, in the main, been brought to CHRIST by him. If that be the case, then the readers of this letter would be the apostle’s grandchildren; and he certainly displays here a grandfatherly concern for their spiritual well-being. There is clear evidence here that these Christians have grown "in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," 2 Peter 3:18. But false teaching is afoot; and it seems, as we have said earlier, as if Epaphras has gone to Rome to discuss with Paul about it, and how to meet it. Our present passage is a very difficult one; but we must try together to grasp something of the drift of its arguments. THE PITFALL OF JUDAISM, Colossians 2:11-17 The Old Covenant and the New - is the alternative theme of verses Colossians 2:11-12. The controversy seems to have dogged Paul’s footsteps almost everywhere he went. It was a widespread view of these teachers that no Gentile could become a Christian except via judaism - he must, therefore, submit to the law of circumcision, the outward sign of covenant relationship with GOD. But, says the apostle, with the coming of CHRIST a new covenant has been inaugurated, wherein is a new outward sign of covenant relationship, a new circumcision, not now of the flesh but of the spirit, symbolised by the ordinance of baptism, in which is typified the recipient’s identification with CHRIST in His burial in death, and resurrection to life - "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live," Galatians 2:20. Are we, then, to take it that Paul was speaking disparagingly, even scornfully, of the Old Covenant? By no means. The Shadow and the Substance - is the way he designates the contrast in verses Colossians 2:16-17. Under the Old Economy of Law there were rules and regulations which the godly man was expected to observe - foods and feasts were appointed of GOD for man’s health and holiness. Under the New Economy of Grace, however, all is altered - even "the sabbath day" is, with Divine blessing, changed from the seventh to the first. No Gentile convert is to be "judged," condemned, because of non-compliance with these ancient requirements. We Christians "are not under law, but under grace," Romans 6:14. That doesn’t mean that we may live lawlessly, with a licence to sin (verse Colossians 2:15); "God forbid," says the horrified apostle. No, indeed; but our conduct now has a new motive - not legal, but love. "Thou shalt do no murder" is not cancelled, but is controlled by a new spirit, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour". But, I ask again, does all this mean that the old order is to be despised? No, again - "which are a shadow of things to come," a Divinely directed fore-shadowing of the CHRIST Who was to be the Substance. All these ordinances pointed on to Him, and when He came as the complete fulfilment of them all, their purpose was fully served, and the old order changed, giving place to the new. "A shadow" - yes, but, don’t forget, a GOD-appointed shadow. All those Levitical sacrifices and offerings did not originate with Moses, but only came through him, from GOD Himself, so we will not speak irreverently of them, but thankfully recall their substantive significance. The Blessing in CHRIST -is, consequently, placed before us in verses Colossians 2:13-15. Through our union with Him in His dying, and His rising, "together with Him," we have, amongst many other blessings, the primary boon of the forgiveness of sins, for through "His cross," and "in it," He accomplished an open triumph over all the forces of evil. Note how Paul here describes "the great Transaction," as Philip Doddridge’s hymn characterises it. Consider, then, "the handwriting of ordinances that was against us". Was this not the Ten Commandments, "written with the finger of GOD," Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10? "Against us," because they convict and condemn us for having so gravely and so grievously broken them. There stands the Law: how did Love deal with the situation? "Took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross." When the Romans crucified a man, it was customary to write a card stating the nature of his crime, and to nail it to the upright of his cross, which is exactly what happened in the case of our Lord, whose "superscription of His accusation," Mark 15:26, proclaimed that His crime was His claim to be "King of the Jews," as if setting Himself against Caesar. The truer "title," as Paul tells, was that the Ten Words were nailed there, and that the condemnation was for the breaking of the whole gamut of GOD’s commands - not that He had broken them, but we had, and He was suffering in our stead. "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all," Isaiah 53:6. And so, "he that believeth on Him is not condemned," John 3:18; John 5:24. Blessed assurance! Not in Judaism, except as a picture, but in JESUS is all our hope of Full Salvation. THE PITFALL OF GNOSTICISM, Colossians 2:18 This comes next under consideration. We have already indicated some of its significance; but here Paul goes into more detail, and in a few graphic expressions he gives - Some of its teachings. It was a curious mixture, and a crude bundle of strange fancies: but let our verse speak for itself. (a) "A voluntary humility," that is, feigned, not genuine. They put it on to put you off your guard. It is almost an obsequiousness; but don’t you allow it to "beguile" you. (b) "Worshipping of angels" - that spurious line of descending intermediaries for the creating of the world, since they allege the evil of matter as such, and therefore GOD’s holy inability to have any direct connection with its formation. How ludicrously contrasted to the Bible’s simple revelation. (c) "Intruding into those things which he hath not seen" - the things unseen refer to the cult of the Mystery Religions which flourished then in those quarters. After a period of mystic preparation, one was ready to step into the secret. This "intruding" was the final step into the inner shrine, and one became an initiate. It was apparently thus that one became, as it were, a fully-fledged member of this Gnostic sect. (d) "Vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind" - we have already noted that their vaunted humility was feigned, for their own purpose. Here the real truth is out, for this phrase is intended to convey their intellectual pride, and snobbery. So much for their humility! Their very name Gnostic is the Greek gnosis, which means knowledge - "we know"! Well, well! Some of its losses - may be mentioned. (a) It robs its devotees of that true humility which in Scripture after Scripture is seen to be of such high value in the eyes of GOD - for instance, "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of GOD of great price," 1 Peter 3:4. I often think, and sometimes say, that there is no limit to what GOD can do with us if only we are humble enough. Perhaps we may say that the key to this quality is "Not I, but CHRIST," Galatians 2:20. (b) This queer teaching robs its adherents of the only Mediator, instead of the long procession of deteriorating go-betweens. The Christian truth is that "there is One Mediator between GOD and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Timothy 2:5. GOD’s approach to men is by that One, "GOD was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto Himself", 2 Corinthians 5:19. Man’s approach to GOD is by that One, "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me," John 14:6. What a tragedy to be deprived of all the benefits of His mediatorial office. (c) This odd doctrine negatives the revealed mystery, with all its accompanying "riches," as referred to in Colossians 1:27. The fact is that Christianity is the one only true Mystery Religion - held hidden through the long years of preparation covered by the Old Testament till men of faith, Gentile as well as Jew, were invited by GOD to take the step of initiation into the glorious company of the blessed inheritors of the Open Secret, part of whose "riches" is the deeply moving truth that CHRIST did not merely come down to die for you, but comes to dwell in human hearts that invite Him in - "Christ in you, the hope of glory," Colossians 1:27. All this the peculiar Gnostics miss. For us who are believers, this golden mystery holds all the secret of Full Salvation. THE PITFALL OF ASCETICISM, Colossians 2:20-23 A variation of Gnosticism. There were features common to both, but the most significant difference here was the emphasis upon the denial of the body; yet even this springs from the notion of the innate evil of matter. (a) This is a religion of don’t - "touch not, taste not, handle not," Colossians 2:21. It reminds me of a small boy who, when asked his name, said that it was "Don’t". When told he had misunderstood the enquiry, he insisted that he had told them his right name. "Whatever I do it is always Don’t, Don’t, Don’t; yes, my name is Don’t". Poor child; and poor religionist, whose life is circumscribed by an eternal Don’t. Oh, for the positive delights of the Christian life - a bliss of which the ascetics were bereft. (b) It was characterised by a pseudo-wisdom - "a shew of wisdom". They fancied themselves, yet, for one thing, how unwise was their neglect of the body. Do you think we Christians are careful enough of our physical well-being? - Should we not heed the reminder that "your body is the temple of the HOLY GHOST," 1 Corinthians 6:19? - Ought we not, by sensible feeding, by due cleansing, and by proper exercise, seek - so far as we may - to keep our body fit for any demands He may make of us for His service? Beware of the slick remark that it is better to wear out than to rust out. Yes, I am sure of that; but I am still more sure that it is better still to last out. How unwise it is to be "neglecting the body." (c) It exalts its own will - "in will worship," thinking by the exercise of strong will-power to attain to the perfection desired; but it is not, in any sense, a godly will, but is of "the flesh," that is, the lower carnal nature, which, says Paul, is ever "lusting against the Spirit," Galatians 5:17. Neither the new birth, nor any resulting blessing, is attainable "of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man," John 1:13. Oh, for the worship of the will of GOD - "Thy wonderful grand will, my GOD, With triumph now I make it mine; And faith shall cry a joyous Yes To every dear command of Thine." But what of the result of this cult of asceticism, does it work for goodness? A complete failure. It is "not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh". Our illuminating of the meaning of this difficult phrase, is, "not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh". A spiritual malady cannot be cured by a physical remedy. So, as we leave this passage, we remark on - THE PITY OF IT ALL In verse Colossians 2:20, the apostle asks, almost pathetically, "Wherefore if ye be dead with CHRIST . . . are ye subject to ordinances?" That is, if you really and truly are Christians, why ever allow yourselves to be misled and tied up with all these rules and regulations, whether emanating from Judaism, or from Gnosticism, or from Asceticism? "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage," he would say, as in Galatians 5:1. In verse Colossians 2:19, he has put his finger on the reason why any such defection should ever take place, "not holding the Head" - not holding to the headship of the Head. We all know, if we allowed this in the physical frame, what dreadful consequences would accrue among the limbs of the body. Paul uses these material facts as similes of spiritual truths, as he has done already with such effect in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. The Source of our Service - "all the body by joints and bands. . . knit together". When all the parts are in right position, and healthy condition, the brain is able to direct the body in its various functions, and to regulate the service that it is intended to render. The thing holds good in the spiritual sphere. Let us see to it that there shall be no dislocation of the soul’s "joints," no slipped discs of the heart - that there shall be no shrinking of the soul’s "bands," the spiritual sinews, and moral muscles. So shall we make sure that the Head shall not be impeded in His strategic work in us, and through us, in service. The Spring of our Health - "having nourishment ministered". Here once more is the brain at work for the well-being of the body, knowing how to control the nutriment supplied, and to turn it into life-force for the whole frame. Take one New Testament instance of the remarkable way in which the Head ministers to the nourishment of the Soul. Two debilitated men, their spiritual vitality undermined by grief, are dragging their feet along the road to their village home. Presently we find them on the same road; but what has happened that this time, with hurrying footsteps, and uplifted spirits, they hasten back to Jerusalem? Simply that the Head has ministered the nourishment that has renewed their spirit and energy: by the Word - "did not our heart burn within us . . . while He opened to us the Scriptures?" Luke 24:32; and by the Ordinance - "He was known of them in breaking of bread". verse Luke 24:35. In His Word and at His Table, and through other means of grace, He is ever wont to bring strength to our spiritual being - strength for service, strength for health. and further -: The Secret of our Growth - "increaseth with the increase of GOD". Our bodies will not grow big and strong if we do not faithfully follow the dictates of the brain. Perhaps our apostle has observed that some of these Colossian Christians are shewing signs of developing into poor-hearted, small-minded, weak-kneed, flabby-muscled, thinbodied, lame-limbed believers - all because, not holding to the Head, they have suffered their strength to be sapped by some insidious heresy. How different from the thrilling summons of Isaiah 35:3-4. "Strengthen ye the weak hands, confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your GOD . . ." Here is the fine, adventurous virility of the healthy, godly life. Be it noted, then, that spiritual invalidism results from "not holding the Head"; but that spiritual invigoration comes from "beholding your GOD". "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:31. What a pity it is that any of us Christians should, through the enervating atmosphere of any heretical belief. allow ourselves to sink into spiritual mediocrity, when we might be enjoying the vigours of GOD’s full salvation. "Love’s resistless current sweeping All the regions deep within; Thought, and wish. and senses keeping Now, and every instant, clean: Full salvation! From the guilt and power of sin," ======================================================================== CHAPTER 54: 03.06. COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 -- HIS ENCOURAGEMENT OF AMBITION ======================================================================== CHAPTER SIX -- HIS ENCOURAGEMENT OF AMBITION (Colossians 3:1-4) IT IS very evident that life for the Christian is intended to be very different from that of the worldling - different in nature, different in outlook, different in interests, different in aim. His rightful ambition is indicated in our present passage. It is described here as a resurrection life - "If ye then be risen with Christ," Colossians 3:1; and in Php 3:10 it is perfected in "the power of His resurrection". See first - THE CERTAINTY OF IT "If ye then be risen with CHRIST," just as truly, "Since, then, you have been raised with CHRIST". There is no doubt about it. The apostle is writing to these people as Christians; and of all such it is indubitably true that these two basic certitudes abide. in view of their union with CHRIST, thank GOD, they are dead men; and, praise GOD, they are risen men. There is no "if" about either case, in the sense that it is in question, but the consequential "as," and "since". But what is this "union with CHRIST" that we speak of? It results from an exercise of Identification by Faith. We go, for elucidation, away back to Leviticus 1:4, "He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him". The same transaction is in Leviticus 4:24. Under the Old Covenant to which we have already referred in these Studies, GOD made special arrangements for the temporary dealing with men’s sins until the time came when it would be possible to deal with them permanently and eternally. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins," Hebrews 10:4 - those sacrifices were ordained to cover sins, hence, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered," Psalms 32:1. That is as far as the Psalmist could go, until "now once in the end of the age hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself," Hebrews 9:26. Those oft-repeated offerings of the Old Testament pointed on to, and drew their significance from, the once-for-all Sacrifice of CHRIST in the New Testament. We shall meet those Old Testament believers on exactly the same ground. We believers will be there - the Cross of Calvary. "That by means of [His] death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament," as Hebrews 9:15 has it. Or, as in Romans 3:25, "Whom GOD hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God". Well now, to come back to Leviticus. By Divine appointment the transgressor brought his animal victim as his offering for sin. The priest will have most carefully scrutinised the beast, to make sure that there was no spot or blemish. The offerer would now stand, and, placing his hand upon its head, confess his sin. In that moment the Great Transference would take place. GOD reckoned as if the sin of the man were laid on the beast, and the spotlessness of the animal accounted to him. The victim is then put to death as bearing the man’s sin, and suffering in his stead. He left the scene a forgiven man. It was all a GOD-given, GOD-ordained, prophetic picture of what was afterwards to be; and old Isaac Watts has captured its significance for us in his great hymn - "My faith would lay her hand On that dear head of Thine, While like a penitent I stand, And there confess my sin." Thus, by this heavenly Identification by Faith, we are joined to Him as ourselves dead to sin, and, moreover, as being alive in resurrection to "newness of life," Romans 6:4; Romans 6:11. This, be it ever remembered, not for any merit of ours, and quite independently of our understanding. Christian, as a matter of complete certainty, you are risen with CHRIST. The only question - for you and me - is whether we are living up to our high privilege, whether walking after "the power of His resurrection". Let us go on to another aspect of this truth. THE CENTRE OF IT Notice these phrases in our brief verses. "With Christ," (Colossians 3:1); "where Christ," (Colossians 3:1); "with Christ," (Colossians 3:3); "when Christ," (Colossians 3:4). It is pretty evident, isn’t it, where the centre of the resurrection life lies. When all our life revolves around Him as our Living Centre, then we know resurrection life in happy truth. This indeed is Full Salvation. Mark here three statements that have an intimate bearing upon our relationship with Him. "Christ sitteth on the right hand of God," (Colossians 3:1). The Epistle to the Hebrews shews us that three things are implied in this posture of the Master. (1) Rest - "when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," Hebrews 1:3. In amazing grace, He undertook the plan of our salvation, till, on its completion, He was able to say, "It is finished," John 19:30. He undertook to pay in full the enormous debt of our sin, till, on its complete cancellation, He was free to say, "It is finished". The Cross was the payment in full; the Resurrection was GOD’s receipt. He undertook, at the Father’s will, to drink our cup of woe, till, on His drinking to the last bitter dregs, He handed back the cup to the Father, and said "It is finished". The plan that He came to earth to accomplish is now fully carried out, and He has gone back to Heaven to take His seat of rest at GOD’s right hand. (2) Intercession - "seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them," Hebrews 7:25. Can we ever assess what we owe to our Saviour’s prayers? Why, after his base denial, did not Peter fall away entirely? Listen: "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not [utterly]," Luke 22:32. If anyone be so ill and weak that they cannot pray for themselves; or, if anyone be so lonely that there is no one they can ask to pray for them, what a deep comfort, in each case, to know that JESUS is there to pray for them. We say again that down here we shall never be able to estimate what we owe to His prayers for us. On one occasion, He iooked into a house, and said of a man there, "Behold, he prayeth," Acts 9:11. When we are in need of comfort and strength, may we not look into Heaven, and say, "Behold, He prayeth"? (3) Sovereignty - "we see JESUS. . . crowned," Hebrews 2:9. One day He is going to return to this earth to assume the Kingdom, which, on His present rejection, is in abeyance, when "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever," Revelation 11:15. But even now He reigns on high; and by reason of our union with Him, we, too, are entitled to reign with Him - in that one day of His millennial glory, "they shall reign with Him a thousand years". Revelation 20:6. "We shall reign on the earth," Revelation 5:10, yes; but even now He "hath made us kings and priests," Revelation 1:6, in our degree to share in His present Sovereignty. and in His present Intercession. If only we would put into practical daily use our exalted position in Him! "Your life is hid with Christ in God," (Colossians 3:3). Who, then, will say that our life, once hid, can ever be lost? The Son and the Father are pledged to its security - "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand" John 10:28-29. "With Christ, in God" - what blessed safety: hidden as treasure deposited in a bank, the impregnable vaults of the Bank of Heaven, Matthew 6:20; hidden as a root planted in a fertile soil to bring forth the rich fruit of good seed, Matthew 13:38 a. Incidentally, how important it is that we should cultivate the hidden life. The harvest of the fruit depends so much on the health of the root. Earlier in these Studies, I have told the story of the pear tree from which I got practically nothing for fifteen years - "nothing but leaves," Mark 11:13. The very first year of his occupancy. and ever after my successor had an abundant crop - the simple secret was that he treated the roots of the tree. Even the old prophet knew that way to the spiritual welfare of a nation, let alone to the life of an individual - "the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward" Isaiah 37:31. So, to be hidden in Him is to be fruitful for Him. as well as to be safe, in His keeping power. "Christ who is our life," (4). Not only brings, or gives, but "is," in Himself. (1) Its Entrance - "He that hath the Son hath [the] life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not [the] life," 1 John 5:12. This latter has a physical life; but he has not "the" (Gk.) life, the spiritual life. He is our life. (2) Its Continuance - "I give unto them eternal life" John 10:28. Being eternal it continues: it lasts because He lasts. (3) Its Abundance - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly". John 10:10. There is a world of difference between the two qualities. The hospital patient in that bed, only just alive - like some Christians, who, while having life, because they have Him, are only just Christians. they haven’t grown. The hospital nurse bustling about the ward, full of life - that is the kind of Christian we are meant to be. (4) Its Infiuence - "By reason of him [Lazarus] many . . . believed on Jesus," John 12:11. His new life, because of the Saviour, made this man a real advertisement for the Master, and enabled him to wield a powerful influence for Him on others. (5) Its Fragrance - "He could not be hid," Mark 7:24. If He be in our heart and life in any effective degree, the fact is sure to be noticed. A friend of mine speaks of having met one day a lot of girls emerging from a factory for their lunch break. He says that they carried a most attractive aroma. As he then passed the gate he saw that it was a scent factory. Just so is it that if our life is "hid" in Him, something of His fragrance will be upon us - "the savour of life," 2 Corinthians 2:16 calls it. I fancy it is true that fragrance comes from sacrifice. Anyhow, that was so when "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment," John 12:3. When the box was broken, the fragrance was released. Certainly it is true that when the self is broken, the savour of CHRIST is known - "not I, but Christ," Galatians 2:20. Well, all this that we have been saying is to emphasize the blessed truth that CHRIST Himself is the Living Centre of the resurrection life. Is He, then, the real centre of our life? We are all aware of the teachings of old astronomers concerning our planetary universe. Ptolemy was the first in the field (A.D. 127-51), one of the most eminent of the scientific men of the ancient world. He taught that our earth was the centre of the universe, and that all else revolved around it. How grand to think of ourselves as the hub of the universe! It took something like thirteen hundred years to dispel the illusion. Copernicus (A.D. 1473-1543) demonstrated that the sun was the centre, with the earth and all else revolving around it. I wonder if we have changed our life’s centre? Because we begin by giving self that position - everything turns round ourselves: what we wish, we think, we propose. It often takes a long time for us to see the falsity, and futility, of the idea that this self, this bit of earth is the hub. It is a happy moment when we alter the outlook, and recognise "the Sun of Righteousness," Malachi 4:2, as our new Centre. Thenceforward, every aspect of life rotates round Him. Such, then, is the resurrection life of Full Salvation. Now consider -: THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF IT This resurrection life, centred in Him, not being self-centred, has a magnificent wide sweep. The risen life will never forget that while "He is the propitiation for our sins," it is "not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world," 1 John 2:2. Do you know that story of a great Salvation Army conference that met in America a number of years ago, attended by delegates from all over the world? All were thrilled when they knew that the Old General himself was to be there. Near the date, however, his doctors forbade him to travel; but he promised to send a cable to open the conference. When the time came, there was anxiety in the assembly, for the message hadn’t arrived; but then, just in the nick of time, it was brought. It consisted of one word - "Others". What a start, what a theme, for any Christian conference. How like the Saviour, of whom even His enemies had to acknowledge that "He saved others, not Himself," Matthew 27:42. So it is that if He be our Centre, others will be our Circumference - "the whole world" of others, whom we may be able, by our prayers, our example, our testimony, to reach, to touch, and to fetch for Him. To that end - "Set your affection" - rightly, for what we love we become like; and it is that likeness to Him that is destined to wield our greatest influence on others. But do you notice that the margin says this "set your mind," and it suggests the idea of setting our watch by the sun? Our clock may be fast or slow, or may even have stopped, and so we seek to put it right. It is not wise to make a guess, nor to follow other people’s clocks; but the best way is to regulate it by Greenwich Mean Time, which ultimately means the sun. Yes, again, "the Sun of Righteousness," Malachi 4:2. If we want to keep our lives right, let us regularly regulate them by Him. Thus, if those others want to know the right time from us, we shall not lead them astray since we ourselves are right with Him - "ye became followers of us, and of the Lord," 1 Thessalonians 1:6! Paul and his Lord blessedly synchronised, so that to go by him was tantamount to going by Him. May our behaviour be always so accurately adjusted that "we have the mind of Christ," 1 Corinthians 2:16. So, then, set your mind - "Not on things on the earth." There are those "who mind earthly things," Php 3:19. Strange as it may seem, some Christians are thus regulated. They just seem unable to rise above their conditions and circumstances - no resurrection life for them. Christians they are, but so low-level Christians, so incongruously dwelling all the time in the earthlies. One thinks of the occasion when a company of Israelites were forgathered with the Philistines, before a battle, when the princes of the latter asked, in surprise, "What do these Hebrews here?" 1 Samuel 29:3. One is inclined to ask concerning believers who are earthbound, "What do these Christians here?" Of course, we cannot ignore earthly things. When we became Christians, we were not at once transported to Heaven, but left here: - to be a "Salt" of the earth, to stave off corruption, - to be a "Light" of the world, to illumine the darkness, - to be a "City" set on a hill, to guide people on to the city "whose builder and maker is God," Hebrews 11:10. These three ministries are committed to us as part of the economy of the Kingdom, Matthew 5:13-14. Yes, indeed, "in the world," but not "of the world," John 17:11; John 17:16. "On things above." There are the things which are to guide our life below. We are to accumulate Possessions in Heaven - "lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal," Matthew 6:20. So different from earth’s treasures. We are to value Popularity with Heaven - it is said of some that "they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God," John 12:43. How different is Paul’s good soldier, "that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier," 2 Timothy 2:4. We are to enjoy even here the Pleasures of Heaven - "in Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore," Psalms 16:2. So different from "the pleasures of sin for a season," Hebrews 11:25. We are to rejoice in a Position in Heaven - "but rather rejoice because your names arc written in heaven," Luke 10:20. So different from those, however great and famous they may be, who are only "written in the earth," Jeremiah 17:13. We are to endure and energize for the Prize of Heaven - "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high ["upward[/b]," Gk.] calling of God in Christ Jesus," Php 3:13-14. So different from the "corruptible crown," 1 Corinthians 9:25, which is the best that earth’s striving can attain. We are to covet the Power of Heaven - "tarry ye . . . until ye be endued with power from on high," Luke 24:49. So different from man, who out of much failure has to confess "How frail I am," Psalms 39:4. Assuredly, it is our wisdom to set our minds thus "on things above". Such is the outlook of the resurrection life, always the uplook: to speak metaphorically, their habit is "Look from the top" Song of Solomon 4:8. And now, to conclude, look at -: THE CIRCLE OF IT "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." So the fact of our union with CHRIST, through the Identification by Faith, has now come round full circle: - we died in Him, - we were buried with Him, - we have been raised with Him, - we are ascended with Him, - we are seated with Him, - we now anticipate the time when we shall return and reign with Him. Such is the glorious teaching of all these Pauline Letters - Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians. Thus we observe the Resurrection Life - from the root, in the Cross, to the Fruit, in the Coming. This is Full Salvation. "Life immortal, heaven descending, Lo! my heart the SPIRIT’S shrine: GOD and man in oneness blending, Oh, what fellowship is mine! Full salvation! Raised in CHRIST to life divine!" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 55: 03.07. COLOSSIANS 3:5-14 -- HIS GUIDANCE ON GARMENTS ======================================================================== CHAPTER SEVEN -- HIS GUIDANCE ON GARMENTS - Colossians 3:5-14 IF YOU are a soldier, you must dress the part; if you are a cricketer, you must dress the part; if you are a bus driver, you must dress the part; if you are a Christian, you must dress the part. The resurrection life demands a complete change of costume. What a practical person is this inspired correspondent. He deals in his letters with the highest of themes; but it is never long before he brings them down to the level of the workaday life, and shews how the heavenly doctrine is intimately related to the homely details of everyday living. Think, for instance, of that great teaching on full surrender, in Romans 12:1-2, and mark how at once, from verse Romans 12:3 onward, he applies it all to the common round. See, too, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, how in the first part he is in the Heavenlies, and in the closing chapters he is in the Homelies, speaking of the mutual obligations of wives and husbands, of children and parents, of servants and masters. Like the apostle John, he regards the truth, not merely as something to be held, or to be admired, or to be taught, but as something we are to "do," 1 John 1:6. Doctrine, is always linked with Doing. Paul pursues this same habit here in Colossians. "Habit" - why, the French use that word to describe clothes - a habit may refer to a coat, a skirt, a suit. It is interesting to observe how often Paul speaks of our personal habits and characteristics under the illustration of clothes. He does so in our present passage. THE WARDROBE OF THE SOUL The Old Clothes - first claim our attention. (a) What they are - truly a lot of junk, and worse. Look at the moth-eaten garments in verse Colossians 3:5, and that other list of disreputable pieces of apparel in verses Colossians 3:8-9. Do you notice that, in the latter list, so many iniquities are those of the mouth? What a power speech is for good will - a bit for control, a helm for guidance, in the one case; a fire, a beast, a poison, says James 3:2-8. In the first list, it is interesting to note the Phrase. "covetousness, which is idolatry". But do Chnstians worship idols? Yes, alas. The covetous man in the phrase has made an idol of some possession, some position, which he covets, and which, perchance, he will seek to secure by hook or by crook. (b) What GOD thinks of such clothes - "for which things sake the wrath of GOD cometh on the children of disobedience". (Colossians 3:6). All too often we play with sin, and trifle with GOD - we speak of our foibles, our weaknesses, our failures - when GOD calls them sins. We trade on His mercy, and forget the awful reality of HiS wrath. Our disobedience incurs His displeasure - and that is gravely serious. (c) What we all wore once - "in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them", (Colossians 3:7). Walking about in rags; for even if we were respectable citizens, in our own and in others’ eyes, we were not so in GOD’s eyes. He says concerning humanly-well-thought-of people. "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," Isaiah 64:6. However well-dressed we were in a material sense, we were wholly unattractive in spiritual vesture. (d) What had we best do with these old clothes? - "Put off all these". (Colossians 3:8). Discard, and destroy them - "mortify, (Colossians 3:5). They are fit for nothing but the rubbish bin and the furnace. The New Clothes - now come under inspection. (a) What they are: a lovely list, as is to be seen in verses Colossians 3:12-14. (b) Why should they be worn - "as the elect of God". The elect should always be select. As we said earlier, if we are Christians we should dress the part. A believer who is spiritually down-at-heels, and out-at-elbows is a disgrace to his profession; and he could be so well-turned-out. When, in our LORD’s parable. the king punished the "man that had not on a wedding garment". Matthew 22:11, it was the fellow’s own stupid fault, for the festive robe was offered at the entrance. - Perhaps he said he could not afford one - but they were free to all the guests. - Perhaps he thought his own clothes were good enough - but that did not satisfy the king. - Perhaps he was late, and rushed in at the last moment - but he should have allowed nothing to hinder his coming to so important a function. Why I am quoting the incident here is because the right dress was available and he could have it for the receiving. So we will remember that all these wonderful qualities of Christian demeanour and behaviour can be ours. (c) What to do with them - "put on", (Colossians 3:12). It is not enough to admire them, or to covet them. In another connection, when speaking of a Christian soldier’s uniform and accoutrement, Paul says, "put on the whole armour of GOD". Ephesians 6:11. So, then, as you seek to match the new life which you have "in Christ," two immensely important things await you - "put off". (Colossians 3:8), and "put on". (Colossians 3:10). (d) But, one moment: don’t you like that overcoat - "above all these things put on love". (Colossians 3:14). As we go out to face life. we shall often find it very chilly. Cold winds of opposition may come about us, to blow at our allegiance to CHRIST; dark clouds of disapproval may frown on our Christian stand for Him - don’t let us go out without our overcoat. The love of GOD will warm our hearts and spirits. What matter the cold looks of men? The saintly Horatius Bonar says. "Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not; The Master praises. what are men?" We remind ourselves, too, that this very overcoating of the love of GOD-His for us, and ours for Him-will also kindle within our hearts a love for others. even for those who oppose themselves. So may people admire our overcoat, and seek to enquire where they can get one like it. And now for -: THE WEARER OF THE CLOTHES A change of personality precedes a change of dress. It is useless to speak to non-Christians about all these Christian qualities. To expect them to wear such characteristics is like expecting young David to sally forth to meet Goliath in Saul’s armour - "I cannot go with these," 1 Samuel 17:39. "Ye have put off the old man," (Colossians 3:9). This is not the old nature. Paul’s name for that is "the flesh," the entail of Adam’s fall, which is in every child of Adam, down through the human race, and which remains with us till the end of our days here below. We have our temptations from without - from the world, and the devil; and these are aggravated by temptation from within - this "flesh," acting like a spy in the castle, in league with the enemy without. If left undealt with, it will lead us far astray, wandering off in the ways of wickedness. The ancient game of bowls provides an excellent illustration of this working of "the flesh" within us. A little white ball - the "jack" - is trundled along to the other end of the green, and the player has to bowl his "wood" to lie as near to the jack as he can. It looks so easy, if you have a straight eye. But, try it and see. Inside your wooden ball is a piece of metal, a bias, which will cause it to go astray, in spite of your careful aim. The skill is in allowing for the bias, and thus counteracting it. Our old sinful nature, "the flesh" within, is destined to lead us astray, in collaboration with the temptations from without - "every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed," James 1:14. Thank GOD, there is a way of control. "The flesh lusteth [fighteth] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh," Galatians 5:17. The Christian has become a two-natured man: the abiding old nature wars for control, but [the Greek allows that for the "and," as the same word is translated in verse Galatians 5:22] the indwelling new nature fights, too. The secret of conquest is to let the HOLY SPIRIT take over the conflict. But, we have ourselves been straying here. All this is about what the "old man" is not. What, then, is he? Very simply, the old man is the man of old - the person we used to be before our conversion. (a) The old man’s Decease - "our old man is crucified with Him," Romans 6:6, by the reckoning of GOD, through the Identification by Faith, of which we spoke at some length in our last chapter. (b) The old man’s Dress - "ye have put off the old man with his deeds," Colossians 3:9. His conduct is being likened here to his costume. (c) The old man’s Double - "ye put off as concerning the former conversation [manner of life] the old man," Ephesians 4:22, the way you used to go on in the old regenerate days. Alas, it sometimes happens that, because he is taken off his guard, a believer is betrayed into doing, or saying, something that was habitual in the old days, but which, at his New Birth, he has discarded, and for the moment he behaves like the old man’s double. in such an event, if a Christian came down to breakfast in a temper, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for his wife to rebuke him with the remark, "My dear, you’ve got the old man’s waistcoat on this morning". "Ye have put on the new man," (Colossians 3:10). That poor deformed savage Cali ban, in Shakespeare’s Tempest, spoke better than he knew when he said - "’Ban, ’Ban, Ca-Caliban Has a new master; get a new man." When CHRIST is our Saviour and Master we have to put on the new man. May I remind you that "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature," 2 Corinthians 5:17? Being a Christian, he is to dress the part. "The garment of praise," says Isaiah 61:3; "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness," verse Isaiah 61:10 of the same chapter. Some sightseers, wandering about the grounds of a famous castle on an "open" day, came across an old man, evidently, by his old clothes, one of the gardeners, and they asked him, "Is the Duke in residence?" - it was the Duke! Just then he wasn’t dressing the part. So far as the Christian uniform is concerned, the Christian soldier must never be in mufti. The story is told of the thorough-going conversion of an old disreputable blackguard, whose wife and children had been miserably beaten and bruised in his drunken brawls. Everyone in the town knew of old drunken John, unsavoury character that he was. On his conversion, he knew that everything must now be different - he thought of the way he had treated his family; he decided that he must leave his wretched hovel of a house, and find a decent home for them. On going to the agents, they made it plain to him that they were not going to entrust one of their respectable dwellings to an old reprobate like him. They knew old John. But his answer was, "I think you’re making a mistake. I fancy you’re confusing me with somebody else. Old John is dead; I’m new John". Well done! And now he is going to dress the part. It is so with all new-born people of GOD. Whether they are Greek folk, or Jewish, Barbarian, Scythian, slave or free (verse Colossians 3:11), they all dress alike. "Christ is all, and in all." This spiritual suiting is the height of fashion in the circles of Heaven, and the old clothes look so drab beside them. No wonder that Christians are exhorted, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance," 1 Peter 1:14, when, not knowing any better, you thought yourselves looking very smart. And now one last thing -: THE WORTHINESS OF THE APPEARANCE "After the Image of Him that created him," (Colossians 3:10). We have been talking about putting on various Christian virtues, and we have seen how becoming they are in a Christian; but now, in finishing this Study, we take the matter a step further. We, of course, recall that when GOD formed man, "in the Image of God created He him," Genesis 1:27; and now that we come to man’s new creation in CHRIST, we learn that a like principle obtains - "after the Image of Him that created him" anew. This likeness to Him is, indeed, of the very purpose of our redemption - "for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son," Romans 8:29. May we not say, then, that GOD cares intensely to produce this Christlikeness in His children. It is very moving to observe that He so often uses the untoward circumstances of our life to impress this pattern on believers’ hearts and lives. Paul knew that so well, and he had suffered much. Listen to him: "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God," Romans 8:28 - we don’t always think it, understand it, appreciate it, but "we know" it. Let an old patriarch say, in effect, the same thing, and he knew what he was talking about: "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold," Job 23:10. Even as I write these lines, I am thinking of a friend of mine in whom I have seen this very thing happen. A strong, healthy, vigorous, young sportsman - full of life, "full of beans". He was suddenly struck with crippling affliction. There has been no repining, no complaining. He has accepted it trustfully as in GOD’s plan for him; but how remarkably his suffering has sweetened his disposition - "as gold," yes, indeed. And it is such a joy to see how he is triumphing over his disability. Let us listen to one further testimony, from the last of the prophets, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver," Malachi 3:3 - "sit," because the operation is a very delicate one; and the refiner will be satisfied with his work when he can see his face in the purified metal. One day we shall be perfectly "like Him," 1 John 3:2, in an appearance of soul consonant with all His work for us, and in us. And in that day, wonder of wonders, "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied," Isaiah 53:11. And meanwhile - "As Christ . . . so . . . ye," (Colossians 3:13). While we move amongst others, it is GOD’s plan for us that we should represent Him to men. As the moon reflects the sun in yonder sky, so are we to reflect "the Sun of Righteousness" on earth - albeit, of necessity, a pale reflection. "As He is, so are we in this world," 1 John 4:17. If we are CHRIST’s, we are called upon to live what my friend, the late Dr. W. Y. Fullerton, used to call "the Christly life". It is our exceeding privilege, by the character of our demeanour and behaviour, to remind people of Him. I shall never forget how this was pressed upon my own conscience by a saying of a little boy. Years ago I was leading the Children’s Special Service Mission at one of our South Coast holiday resorts. As I was approaching the beach one morning, this little fellow was going along there, too. As he caught sight of me, he said, "Mummie, here comes the JESUS man". He only meant that I was the man who spoke to the children about the Saviour; but his remark meant far more to my heart that day. What right had I - have I - to be called a JESUS man? What degree of resemblance is there about us? I wonder if you have read that moving story of Jerome K. Jerome’s called The Passing of the Third Floor Back? Roughly, the tale is of a poor-class lodging house, where lived a heterogeneous company of needy and seedy folk, and where there was a poor, ignorant little servantgirl, a good deal of a slut, and ready to sell her virtue for a worthless’ trinket. Into the place there came one day a lodger who at once seemed to be different, and who occupied the third floor back. He quickly revealed himself to have a very kind heart and way. He always had a kindly word for the little slavey, usually so ignored and downtrodden. She soon almost worshipped him. The other lodgers, too, owed him much for his many deeds of helpfulness. He was always doing something for somebody, in his kindly, sympathetic way. At last the day came for him to move elsewhere. The little maid watched him, open-eyed, as he walked with his bit of luggage to the front door; and as he turned to her with a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder, she took her leave of him with the words, "Please, are you ’im?" Is there any need to point the moral? The moving story was fiction. Could anything like It be fact in our lives? "Like Him." It is the HOLY SPIRIT alone who can do this for us, in us, 2 Corinthians 3:18. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 56: 03.08. COLOSSIANS 3:15-4:1 -- HIS IDEAL HOME EXHIBITION ======================================================================== CHAPTER EIGHT -- HIS IDEAL HOME EXHIBITION Colossians 3:15-25, Colossians 4:1 AMONG the greatest achievements of Christianity is the Christian Home, which fact has so often created a deep impression on the mission field. It is important to note how great a stress the New Testament places on it. To take two instances. When Legion had been so gloriously transformed by the Lord JESUS, he wanted straightaway to go overseas for Him, to bear witness to His gracious power to heal and save; but the Master had other plans for him, "Go home . . . and tell them," Mark 5:19; "and shew . . ." Luke 8:39. Home was to be his first mission field, as it is for all Christians. How strikingly successful this man was in his home ministry is seen in the fact that these people who had turned JESUS away, when He returned, "gladly received Him, for they were all waiting for Him," Luke 8:40. Yes, if you have never yet done it, "tell" the news, and "shew" the new man at home. Extend the borders of your testimony afterwards; but, home first. One further instance of the same Christian principle, and order of things. Says Paul, "Learn first to shew piety at home," 1 Timothy 5:4. Here is one of the first lessons in the Primary School of the Christian life. We shall, of course, enlarge our circle of Christian behaviour as time goes on, and as opportunity occurs - but, home first. Alas, we have heard of some Christians who seem to have thought of their home as the place wherein there is no need to display the true spirit of CHRIST - it is often the most difficult place in which to do it, but let us ever bear in mind this "first" rule of the faith. And we will not forget that showing piety does not mean talking about religion, but living it. So we come to look at Paul’s Ideal Home Exhibition. THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD Husband and wife, Colossians 3:18-19. This relationship is, of course, fundamental to the well-being of the home. Not a few children have developed disastrously simply because of the sad relationship existing between these two. Children notice far more than parents sometimes realise. How truly tragic it is when those who should be the home-makers become the home-breakers. GOD counts the family life as so deeply important, which, we may be sure, is why He "setteth the solitary in families," Psalms 68:6. (1) Wives are given this guiding word, "submit," which does not imply a kind of abject slavery to the Great Man. Indeed, in the parallel passage in Ephesians, in the verse immediately before this exhortation to the ladies, the word occurs also in a wider application, "submitting yourselves one to another," Ephesians 5:21-22. I think we shall not go far wrong if we give to the expression the connotation of "mutual service". Each is to serve the highest interest of the other; and the women are reminded that, subject only to the overlordshlp of the Lord Himself, this is their proper attltude - "as it is fit in the LORD". In His concern for the welfare of the man, is it not a rather beautiful conception and name that GOD has for his wife - "I will make him an helpmeet for him," Genesis 2:18? Happy the home when the wife "fits" into that Divine pattern. (2) Husbands, too, are given a guiding word, "love," which is also, of course, to be mutual. Perhaps, in the heathen atmosphere of Colossae, in which these church members were bred, and were only, lately emerged, men all too often regarded their wives as little more than chattels, and that is why Paul felt it necessary to emphasize, even to Christians, that love was to be the rule of the relationship, not harshness - accommodating, not demanding. Is anything more delightful than the obvious, mutual love of a married couple - and the sight of an old Darby and Joan who are quite evidently sweethearts still? Parent and Child, Colossians 3:20-21. What a joy to have little people of your own; ay, and what a responsibility! I often think, when a child is given to mother and father, of GOD saying to them, "Take this child, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages," Exodus 2:9. What wages of happiness, and pride, and love are yours if you find them growing up for GOD! (1) Children are given a guiding word, "obey," and that "in all things". The only restriction is, as in the Ephesian passage, "in the Lord" - one implication being that if the parent demanded something that would be wrong in the LORD’s sight, the child is required to follow the higher loyalty. When Oliver Twist was being trained by old Fagin to pick pockets, he could have invoked a higher loyalty, and obeyed, rather, the Lord, who said, "Thou shalt not steal". The word for children in our passage is not that for the "babes" of 1 Peter 2:2, nor that for the "young children" of Mark 10:13, but a word implying one grown to years that could discern the clash of loyalties. But, with this one exception, he is still to obey his parents in all things. It is a delightful picture that we have of the twelve-year-old boy JESUS accompanying His mother and Joseph back from Jerusalem to the home at Nazareth, where He "was subject unto them," Luke 2:51. One thinks, too, of the lovely upbringing of Tiny Tim, who "from a child [babe] hast known the Holy Scriptures," 2 Timothy 3:15 - reared on "the sincere [Gk. unadulterated] milk of the Word," 1 Peter 2:2; and taught the faith by mother and grannie, 2 Timothy 1:5. What a grand household is here envisaged. Alas, that "disobedient to parents," 2 Timothy 3:2, is an all-too common feature of this present age. By the way, may I be so bold as to suggest that we are never too old to disregard the wishes of our parents - the relationship will no longer be the childlike "obey," but the "honour thy father and thy mother," Exodus 20:12, endorsed by our Lord who originally gave it on Sinai, Luke 18:20. It is greatly distressing to observe the callous and grudging way in which some - yes, even some Christians - treat their obligation to care for the old folk, who in bygone years so lovingly cared for them. Shame on such unchristian behaviour! (2) Fathers also have a guiding word here "provoke not". It is so easy to "discourage" the children by constant nagging at them, or by the use of the unfair method of heavy sarcasm, and what not. The reader will recall the little boy who said his name was "Don’t". On it being supposed that he hadn’t understood the question, he Insisted, and explained, "Wherever I am, and whatever I’m doing, it’s always, Don’t, Don’t, Don’t. I’m right sick of it. That’s my name, Don’t". Poor little creature! And how much light is thrown on the life in the home when a mother sent her daughter upstairs with the instructions, "Go and see what Johnny is doing, and tell him not to". Talk about provoking children to anger! In some homes it is not surprising that the children are irritated and resentful. How different it can be when the child’s parents seek, carefully and prayerfully, to "bring them up m the nurture and admonition of the Lord," Ephesians 6:4. Master and Servant, Colossians 3:22-25, Colossians 4:1. This latter word is a very mild and inadequate rendering of the original Greek, which indicates that the man was a slave - a bond-slave: the absolute property of the man who had bought him. It is the same word as Paul used so often when he described himseifas he delighted to do - as the "servant [bond-slave] of Jesus Christ," Romans 1:1. (1) Servants are given much sound advice here. Look at some of the phrases employed. (a) "Not with eye service": a homely illustration will make that clear. When asked how she knew she had become a Christian, a servant-maid said, "Because I sweep under the mats now". An excellent test! Some people’s service is rendered in the spirit that "what the eye doesn’t see, the heart won’t grieve over". (b) "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men." This is not spiritual work, but the ordinary work required in the home, or on the estate, of the slave owner. If the Lord were his earthly Owner, he wouldn’t be slack about it. Let this Christian slave, then, do his work for his worldly master as if he were doing it for the Heavenly Master. Brother Lawrence oould pursue "The Practice of the Presence of GOD" in his monastery kitchen. Do you remember what is said about Joseph? "The Lord was with Joseph. . . and his master saw that the Lord was with him," Genesis 39:2-3. I suppose there was a fidelity about the way he did his work that impressed Potiphar. May we all do our ordinary daily work in a like spirit. (c) "Ye serve the Lord Christ". Samuel Chadwick used to say that he wrote his letters as if he were writing to the Lord, and so was careful that there should be no blots or mistake. What was that which one of our poets said about, "Who sweeps a room for the Lord’s sake, makes that and the action fine"? I don’t think I have got that right, but that was the sentiment. Mrs. C. F. Alexander has long taught our children to sing, "And still do all for JESUS’ sake". A young assistant was minding the shop while the boss was out at lunch when a commercial traveller entered, and presently suggested some shady transaction. On seeing that the young fellow demurred, he said, "It’s all right; after all, the master’s not in". To which the youngster, with uppointing finger, replied, "My Master is always in". That’s it; let us pursue our earthly occupation as ever under HIS eye. (2) Masters, too, have their duties, toward their employees, to treat them justly and fairly. Is it not strange that this verse has got into the fourth chapter when it so obviously belongs to the third? Shall we dare to call it an archbishop’s decision? The fact is that it was not until the 13th century A.D. that the Bible was divided up into chapters. It was then done by Archbishop Stephen Langton (who, by the way, also supervised King John’s signing of the Magna Charta - so we owe him a great debt), but His Grace does seem to have slipped up here. Incidentally, the verse divisions waited another 300 years, and were eventually undertaken by a printer, Robert Stephens, not immaculately. But who are we to criticise such meticulous and immense labours, that have proved of such enormous assistance to us in our study of the Word. Well now, to return. The masters are ever to bear in mind that they "also have a Master in heaven," who, without "respect of persons," oversees them and their workmen alike-watching the way the man does his work, and the way the master treats him. Both are "under the Great Taskmaster’s eye". Here, then, are the Divine directions that will make for the Ideal Home, in which all the members of the household co-operate toward this desirable end. It will now be quite natural to turn our particular attention to a consideration of -: THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE Humanly speaking, indeed, Scripturally speaking, "the husband is the head," Ephesians 5:23, and where this order is duly observed it makes for the well-being of the family life. However, it sometimes happens that the wife usurps the man’s rightful position and authority, and is patently and often aggressively in command. Except in unusual circumstances, that is not good. No reversal of GOD’s appointed order, in any sphere, is good. The inspired apostle bases this precedence upon the fact that "Adam was first formed, then Eve," 1 Timothy 2:13. Let him remain "first" in the house. Occasionally it is found that an old servant rules the roast; and, would you believe it, it has been known for a spoilt and pampered child to be the hub and pivot of the home life! Note that, in our present passage, "the Lord" is mentioned by that name no less than seven times. The absolute lordship is His by blood-bought right-over "mind and mouth and members," as the late Taylor Smith used to say over heart and hands and homes; over everything, A university undergraduate had learned well who wrote on the flyleaf of his BIble this couplet - "If you do not crown Him Lord of all You do not really crown Him Lord at all." A life that is lived by this rule is one that knows the reality of Full Salvation, Do you recall that printed card which used often to be found hanging in the entrance hall of a home - "CHRIST is the Head of this house, The unseen Guest at every meal, The silent Listener to every conversation." It is in essence the same as the challenging testimony of Joshua in his farewell address to the people whom he he led into Canaan - "Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . as for me and my house, we Will serve the Lord", Joshua 24:15. It reminds me of one of the loveliest noises ever heard, "It was noised that He was in the house" Mark 2:1 - and, attracted by that noise, how many came and were blessed, Ay, blessed indeed, and happy the domicile if He be the Head. We turn then to discover for ourselves -: THE SECRETS OF THE HOME The Peace - "Let the peace of GOD rule in your hearts." It is obviously GOD’s plan that this quality should flourish in companies as well as in individuals - "in one body" of people, whether, as here, in the body of the family, or in the body of the fellowship, the church. How saddened Paul was concerning the two ladles at loggerheads in the Philippian church - "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord" Php 4:2. Such a situation has before now sapped the energy of a church community, and stopped its blessing. And who can measure the loss and sadness when members of the same home are scarcely on speaking terms. How "thankful" we should be when a peaceful spirit prevails. Look for a moment at that word "rule". Its significance really is "arbitrate". John Milton calls conscience "the umpire of the soul"; but here, in "the peace of God", is an Infallible referee for the spirit. Does that line of conduct disturb our peace? - That thing I want to do, - that place I want to visit, - that letter I want to write that circle I want to join Does it becloud the sun of His peace? If it does, Don’t! It is a first-rate test for a first-rate Christian. It is grand to have "the peace of God" in our hearts; it is surpassing grand to have "the God of peace" there, in full control - of circumstances, and of conduct, Php 4:7; Php 4:9. The Word, Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly". I should think the idea here is that of a rich man coming to live in a house who, by reason of the financial resources at his command, is in a position to change completely the appearance and appointments of the place, while the previous occupant, being poor, was able to do very little toward the proper upkeep of the house. Has "the word of Christ" but a poor place in our hearts, or are we rejoicing in its riches? The point here, however, is not merely the heart, but also the home itself. Is the Word the test and the talisman of the dwelling? If so, two things especially are likely to ensue. (a) "Wisdom" - in the family conduct, plans, and relationships. (b) "Singing" - for this is a happy home, when the Word is the yard-stick of all behaviour. "Singing with grace" doesn’t mean with gracefulness, or tunefulness, since not all of us can manage that, some even being tone deaf. The Greek has a definite article here, "the" grace, the grace of GOD "singing with [the] grace in your hearts"; this, if we are Christians, we can all manage, even with gusto. "To the Lord" - if nobody else enjoys your solo, GOD will, who made the crows as well as the nightingales. That was a godly thing which, at one time, became almost a Sabbath evening institution, when the family gathered round the piano, and made the walls ring with their "psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs". With the Word in residence as the Rich One, the melody of heart and home is assured. Let us, then, not merely read, but study, and ponder, and practise the Scriptures, that we may not simply have a poor knowledge thereof, but become increasingly possessed of its abounding wealth. The Name, Colossians 3:17 - "Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus". That little word "all" is large in content - multum in parvo, as the Latins say. The verse also offers the bigger word, "whatsoever" - an india rubber word, that can be stretched to include everything that life demands of us: the hard things, the humdrum things, the happy things, the homely things, the holy things - "all," "whatsoever". Herein "the Name" is to be our guiding star. (a) Our reason is in the Name - we "do," because He did in the home at Nazareth. (b) Our example is in the Name - who left us "an example that ye should follow His steps," 1 Peter 2:21. (c) Our guidance is in the Name - as was said at the homely wedding scene, "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it," John 2:5. (d) Our motive is in the Name - for "the love of Christ constraineth us," 2 Corinthians 5:14. When all is said and done, the Name just means Him. These, then, are three great secrets why this that Paul envisages is no ordinary home, but the Ideal Home, exhibited here for our pleasure, and our pattern. "Care and doubting, gloom and sorrow, Fear and shame are mine no more; Faith knows naught of dark tomorrow, For my Saviour goes before: Full salvation! Full and free for evermore!" The Name, Colossians 3:17 - "Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus". That little word "all" is large in content - multum in parvo, as the Latins say. The verse also offers the bigger word, "whatsoever" - an india rubber word, that can be stretched to include everything that life demands of us: the hard things, the humdrum things, the happy things, the homely things, the holy things - "all," "whatsoever". Herein "the Name" is to be our guiding star. (a) Our reason is in the Name - we "do," because He did in the home at Nazareth. (b) Our example is in the Name - who left us "an example that ye should follow His steps," 1 Peter 2:21. (c) Our guidance is in the Name - as was said at the homely wedding scene, "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it," John 2:5. (d) Our motive is in the Name - for "the love of Christ constraineth us," 2 Corinthians 5:14. When all is said and done, the Name just means Him. These, then, are three great secrets why this that Paul envisages is no ordinary home, but the Ideal Home, exhibited here for our pleasure, and our pattern. "Care and doubting, gloom and sorrow, Fear and shame are mine no more; Faith knows naught of dark tomorrow, For my Saviour goes before: Full salvation! Full and free for evermore!" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 57: 03.09. COLOSSIANS 4:2-6 -- HIS TALK OF TONGUES ======================================================================== CHAPTER NINE -- HIS TALK OF TONGUES Colossians 4:2-6 WHAT a lot of time we spend - and sometimes waste - in talking. So we may be quite sure that the ever-practical Paul will take up the matter, and deal with the various aspects of it from the Christian point of view. THERE IS THE SPEECH OF PRAYER "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving," Colossians 4:2. (a) "Prayer" - what a man of prayer he was himself, and how constantly we find him longing for the prayers of others. He knows how much we Christians can do for one another if we can only pray: we could do nothing better for a man. He reckoned it as one of the pieces of a Christian soldier’s armour - "Praying always," Ephesians 6:18. I suggest that the list of armour does not end with verse Ephesians 6:17. We understand that Paul’s military guard was with him, Acts 28:16; and as he picked out the parts of the soldier’s accoutrement, he used each bit as a spiritual illustration of the Christian warrior’s equipment. It seems that one item is missing from the catalogue -what was called the "greaves," a protection for the shins and the knees. Possibly the sentry of the moment was not wearing them just then, but our writer knew that the armour was not "whole" without them, and although because of their absence at the time he does not mention them by name, he won’t leave out the spiritual truth that they stand for. The knees: why, prayer, of course. He would so much appreciate the old prophet’s exhortation, "confirm the feeble knees," Isaiah 35:3. (b) "Watch" - I dare say Paul would know of the Master’s coupling together of "watch and pray," Matthew 26:41. (1) Watch before you pray - that you do not rush into the audience chamber of the King; or that Satan does not spoil your spirit before ever you draw near, for - "Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees." (2) Watch while you pray - lest any wandering thought come in to distract you from the holy business. Arrest that thought at once, like a policeman on the watch, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Corinthians 10:5 - arrest it "in the Name" of the King. (3) Watch after you pray - looking out confidently for the answer. Remember Charlotte Elliott’s reminder - "Watch, as if on that alone Hung the issue of the day; Pray, that help may be sent down; Watch and pray." (c) "Thanksgiving" - prayer and thanksgiving are so often joined together by Paul. This is our "Thank you" to prayer’s "Please". Do you feel that we are often guilty of shocking bad manners toward GOD, in that we frequently forget to thank Him for His answers to our prayers. Moreover, how thankful we must ever be that we are privileged to pray to Him at all. Let us, then, be careful to put this right. (d) "Continue" - keep at it. Satan will, of course, do his evil utmost to hinder us; and, besides, often when "the spirit indeed is willing . . . the flesh is weak," Matthew 26:41. We are so tired, so lazy, so impatient. so doubtful. We recall that the Master told more than one of His parables to press home that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint," Luke 18:1. We are often in such a hurry that, if the answer doesn’t come at once, we drop the asking. It is well for us to bear in mind that GOD always answers true prayer - sometimes He says "Yes"; sometimes He says "No"; sometimes He says "Wait". I heard the other day of a girl who said, "Mother has always taught me that ’No’ is an answer". If He does say "No" to your prayer, will you remember to view it from this threefold background - first, His love wants the best for you; - second, His wisdom knows the best for you; - third, His power gets the best for you. Will all that not conjure up in you a readiness for His "No"? And if He, by delay, seems to say "Wait," then "continue in prayer" until in His own time, and in His own way, your petition is granted. So may we learn how to speak to GOD. We do not need, in this great matter, to be self-taught, for "the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us," Romans 8:26. What a joy is this, to have Someone who is able and willing to teach us the What, and the How of prevailing prayer, so that the effectual speech of supplication may be ours, James 5:16. THERE IS THE SPEECH OF TESTIMONY "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak," Colossians 4:3-4. I ought to. So says the apostle, and so should every Christian say, for if we know GOD ourselves it is incumbent upon us to tell others of Him. "The mystery of Christ," the secret of the saving grace and mercy of GOD toward sinners, hid through ages, but hinted at through type and prophecy, is now laid open in the appearing of the Son of GOD from Heaven, and in His suffering upon the Cross. Paul now conceives it his bounden duty to "make it manifest," to speak it clear and plain to the souls of men who need Him so desperately, as dying men need Water and Bread of Life. We find a pictorial illustration of the matter in the story of the four leprous men at the gate of Samaria, in their dilemma. A "mystery" of supply is available to their need: It is brought about by GOD through the mysterious noise of armies that He caused the Syrians to hear. While the unfortunate four discuss their dire hunger, the mystery is hid; but at last the plentiful store is revealed to them. in their excitement they take their fill; but, presently, one remarks, "We do not well, this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace," 2 Kings 7:9; at which they proceed at once to "make it manifest" to the besieged city. We, too, live in a Gospel day: dare we hold our peace, when multitudes around us are starving for Bread? After all, "we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel," 1 Thessalonians 2:4 - from the moment that we were, by faith in the Saviour, put in touch with it, we were put in trust with it. Surely, then, I ought to pass it on. I want to. Paul bids his friends pray for him to have "a door of utterance" opened to him. He knows that he ought to speak, and he longs for the opportunity to come his way. A rather cheeky boy was applying for a job; and when the prospective employer asked him, "Have you a motto in life?" he replied, "Yes, sir, same as yours". "What do you mean, son?" "Saw it on the door, sir - ’Push’." Ah, yes; but I fancy that won’t do for a Christian. Too many mistakes have been made, too many lives spoilt by trying to push doors open. This very Paul seems almost to have fallen into that error, when "they assayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not," Acts 16:7, and perhaps also when they "were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia," Acts 16:6. In his fine eagerness, he was perhaps inclined to make opportunities; but Asia was a closed door. Europe was GOD’s door for him, Acts 16:11-12. I wonder if I am right in holding, as I do, that it is better not to try to make opportunities for Christian service, but of course to be eager to take them when they appear. Paul here, you see, prefers praying to pushing. After all, If I may dare to put it so, GOD is expert in doors - I am "He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth . . . behold, I have set before thee an open door," Revelation 3:7-8. When He shows the way in, we may expect His blessing to follow, even though there may come opposition from enemy quarters. Thus Paul is able to write of his experience at Ephesus, "A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries," 1 Corinthians 16:9. Of course, we must want to have opportunities of speaking a word of testimony for our Lord, and be ready to see and seize them, othetwise doors will not open. If GOD knows that we really want them, He will assuredly offer them. Perhaps, then, the wise plan will be to stop rushing and pushing, and to ask Him to guide, to gird, to guard, and, if necessary, to goad. I can’t do. Forgive the clumsy phrase; but it matches up to the other two. The apostle longs to speak of the mystery, but he regrets if he can’t do it, because he is "in bonds". All the same, in his heart of hearts, he knows that prayer can change chains from an opposition into an opportunity. There in his prison in Rome, if he felt for a moment that the door was chained, prayer soon slipped the chain, and the "door of utterance" flew open to him. Of himself, he can’t do it, can’t push the door open, his hands were chained, but prayer moved GOD’s hand to open it. Indeed so. - Think of the conference he had with his fellow Jews, Acts 28:17. - Think of the correspondence he conducted - to Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. His pen was the tongue of a ready speaker, cf. Psalms 45:1. - Think of the converts he won - Onesimus, Philemon 1:10; and soldiers who became the "saints of Caesar’s household" Php 4:22. But to speak more particularly, do any of us feel that we can’t do this thing, this witnessing to another? Is it shyness that keeps us back; is it fear of what those others will think, or say, or do; is it dread of saying the wrong thing, or of becoming tongue-tied in our nervousness? You are in distinguished company. Moses felt the same - "What shall I say . . . I am slow of speech". Exodus 3:13; Exodus 4:10. To which GOD replied, "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say". Jeremiah felt the same - "I cannot speak, for I am a child," Jeremiah 1:6. To which GOD replied, "I have put My words in thy mouth". And you feel the same? Not ashamed to speak - you want to; but afraid to speak - you can’t do? And certainly you ought to. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so," Psalms 57:2. Do you love Him enough to trust Him, and will you open your mouth, and begin? Remember the infallible secret, "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak . . . " Acts 2:4 : you are not concerned with "other tongues". It’s your own tongue you are bothered about. You needn’t be. Seek His infilling, and the testimony will come outflowing. Open your mouth, and begin. And don’t forget that, while salvation is ours as soon as "with the heart man believeth," Full Salvation is only enjoyed when "with the mouth confession is made," Romans 10:10. Next - THERE IS THE SPEECH OF BEHAVIOUR "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time," Colossians 4:5. In the New Testament, "walk" is frequently used for the life: the kind of way in which we behave; whether bad, as in Colossians 3:7, "in the which ye also walked some time," or good, as in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, "walk worthy of GOD, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory". Sometimes, alas, a Christian’s walk is not consistent with his profession. It was to one such that the remark was made, when he was speaking of spiritual things to an unbeliever, "Excuse me, but what you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say". How that man needed to heed the exhortation at the head of this paragraph. But, wait a moment: do we not all need it? Are we blameless in this regard? May we all so closely "walk with GOD," Genesis 5:22; Genesis 6:9, that such a rebuke may never be brought against us. "Walk in wisdom" - says our verse. What need we have of that, if we are to display the right character, if we are to say the right word, if we are to recognise the right time, if we are to employ the right tact - which shall not put them off, but pull them in. What a comfort to know that, as well as a whole lot of other fundamental necessities. "Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom," 1 Corinthians 1:30. Let us watch how He walked, and then "follow His steps". 1 Peter 2:21. Yes, our walk talks. Do you know that strange little word in Proverbs 6:13. "He speaketh with his feet"? A small boy was told not to walk across a certain muddy field. When he came home his mother asked him, "Did you go over the field?" "No, mum. you told me not to." She merely pointed to his shoes, covered With mud. "He speaketh with his feet." His walk was inconsistent with his profession - his lips told a lie. His feet told the truth: the other way round from the more usual inconsistency. You will know that in early days the Christian religion was dubbed "the Way". Acts 9:2; Acts 19:23; Acts 24:14. How appropriate and significant a name for the following of Him who said "I am the Way". To company with Him is wisdom indeed. "Toward them that are without." Those that are astray must always be a concern to those who are within the fold. By all means at our disposal we must seek to will them to lure them within. I expect you remember our Lord’s parable of the Great Supper. Some of those invited refused to come, and the servants were sent out to the streets and lanes of the city. and to the highways and hedges, with the invitation. So are we bidden to the Gospel feast of the Christian life, where "all things are now ready". Some do not want it; and still, in this gospel age. the invitation runs. for "still there is room". Once more, the servants of the Master are graciously commissioned to "Go out . . . and compel [lovingly persuade] them to come in" Luke 14:23. Are we intent upon that blessed task? If so, one of our secrets must be to "walk in wisdom toward them that are without". To that end, how often our walk more persuasive, and more productive, than our talk. Both, please, as opportunity serves; but we will be specially mindful of our behaviour, lest, by any inconsistency, we put a stumbling block in the way of others. Some have been "near to the kingdom" have been put off in this very way. It behoves us all to be very careful to seek wisdom from our Lord, that we may avoid being the cause of any such tragedy. "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way" Hebrews 12:13. Pray for them, yes, indeed; but let the life correspond. As John Keble hymns it - "And help us, this and every day, To have more nearly as we pray." "Redeeming the time" - buying up the opportunity as this phrase means. Losing no chance that may present itself to "catch men" in the Gospel net, Luke 5:10. But "redeeming", buying - such words - surely contain an idea of cost; and, assuredly, this business of soul-winning is a costly affair. Watchfulness, patience, courage, tact prayer, testimony, life, energy - all this spiritual currency builds up into the human side of the purchase cost of this fishing industry. Recall the impelling lines of Horatius Bonar’s hymn, as he originally wrote it, not as in the emasculated words of modern hymn books - "Speed, speed thy work; cast sloth away With great strong wrestlings souls are won." May GOD lay upon us all the burden of souls, and, in the light of His suffering, make us willing to pay the price! Then -: THERE IS THE SPEECH OF CONVERSATION "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt," Colossians 4:6. Some years ago, Chinese Christians engaged in a form of witness which they called "gossiping the Gospel" - just talking quite naturally about CHRIST and His things in the way of ordinary conversation. A very commendable form of speech for GOD, don’t you think? "Speech." James 3:1-18 warns us of the ill that our tongues can bring into other lives, yet how great the blessings they can bring. That is a remarkable claim made by the ungodly, in Psalms 12:4, "Our lips are our own, who is lord over us?" No Christian can say that. CHRIST is Lord over us, our lips are not our own - nothing of ours is ours. "Ye are not your own," 1 Corinthians 6:19. Mind, and mouth, and members belong to Him who bought us. May our lips, then, be used always for good, and for GOD. We do not forget that GOD hears what we say. - Sometimes it is what distresses Him, "He hath heard your murmurings," Exodus 16:9. - Sometimes it is what delights Him, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name," Malachi 3:16. That "hearkened" is noteworthy, as if to indicate, speaking humanly, that He not only heard, but, as it were, cupped His ear to catch it all. In the first case, He had to listen; in the second case, He wanted to listen. Let us then, sometimes, as opportunity affords, engage our tongues, to believers or to unbelievers, to talk tactfully about the One who means everything to us. "Salt." Pungency sometimes, yes, when dealing with corrupt things. But graciousness always, as characterised the Master’s conversation - "Never man spake like this Man," John 7:46. If we be "in Christ," if He be in us, may we not catch something of His tone and accent? Would not this mean no repetition of slander, no suspicion of uncleanness, no temper, no criticism of others, no giving as much as we get, no undue exaggeration, no even slight variation from the truth, no unkind word. Verily, "if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man," James 3:2 - that is, a man of full stature in CHRIST. Even as I wrote the "no’s" just above, my heart turned to the old prayer, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips," Psalms 141:3. I think that our passage has one more thing to say about the Christian ministry of the tongue. THERE IS THE SPEECH OF EXPOSITION "That ye may know how ye ought to answer every man," Colossians 4:6. We link this up with a later passage, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear," 1 Peter 3:15. The latter part of this verse corresponds to the "how" of our Colossian verse. When we are trying to explain to another the reasonableness of our belief there is a proper way to do it, a true Christian spirit in which to talk. Almost as important as knowing what to say is to "know how" to say it. Like our ordinary conversation, this also is to be "alway with grace, seasoned with salt". At the very beginnings of the Christian Church we are told of two great characteristics of the apostles’ "witness" - which should qualify both our public and our private testimony - "great power. . . and great grace," Acts 4:33. Shall we not ask for strength of conviction, and sweetness of manner? Well now, if our "answer," our "reason," is to be intelligent, and in any degree effective, it will need careful and constant study. Shall we make it our aim to get a firm grasp of the meaning and teaching of the doctrine? A stiff book, but excellent, is T. C. Hammond’s, In Understanding be Men. A splendid smaller book is the late Dr. Rendle Short’s Why Believe? Such books will greatly fore-arm us, if we get a real grip of them, for the giving of our answer to the challenge that may come to us. But, of course, our chief manual will be the Bible. To get a growing, and deepening knowledge of it will surely be the ambition of us all. If it is to be to us, among many other things, "the Sword of the Spirit," Ephesians 6:17, we must learn to wield it effectively by constant sword drill. That Will come, not by reading a few verses in the morning - though that is an excellent preparation for the day - but by earnest and diligent study of the Sacred Record of GOD’s dealings, and purposes of love for men. And then, added to all this equipment for the head must be a personal heart experience of GOD. This will bring the "grace" into our "answer" not only the Book knowledge, but the Look acquaintance of Isaiah 45:22. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 58: 03.10. COLOSSIANS 4:7-14 -- HIS ENCLOSED GROUP PHOTOGRAPH ======================================================================== CHAPTER TEN -- HIS ENCLOSED GROUP PHOTOGRAPH - Colossians 4:7-14 I DARE say you have had the experience of receiving a letter from a friend, in which he has enclosed a group photograph of friends well-known to you both. Paul seems to have done here, in words, something of the same kind. He has grouped together, in thumbnail sketches, a number of people who are roundabout him in Rome, and who are all well-known to the church members in Colossae. How interested they will be in these glimpses, on that Sabbath morning, in the Assembly, of their far-off comrades in the Faith, brought so vividly to sight and memory by these spoken miniatures. I dare say that we, too, may gain interest and inspiration from a study of their features, for each has a characteristic profile of his own. Take a good look at them, there in the group, one by one. TYCHICUS - the Man with a Message That word "minister" seems to denote that he was acting as a sort of personal servant to the apostle, a kind of valet, a reliable person ready at hand to do any job, to run any errand for him. A servant of his master; and, at the same time, a "fellow-servant" of the Master - the two Greek words are different. In the language of the New Testament, there are no less than eight different words for the idea of service. (1) Diakonos, the ministering servant. (2) The household servant, oiketes. (3) The subordinate servant, uperetes. (4) The confidential servant, therapon. (5) The public servant, leitourgos. (6) The temple servant, latreuo. (7) The responsible servant, oikonomos. And, most frequent of all, (8) The bond servant, doulos. It is the first and last of these words that are used here of Tychicus. He is not the slave of Paul, he is the diakonos, the ministering servant; but he is the sundoulos, the fellow-slave, with Paul "in the Lord," The inspired New Testament is so exact in its use of words. It is often said that "no man is a hero to his own valet"; but I fancy we have an exception in this man. Paul thought highly of him, and I suspect that he thought much of his master. Paul certainly trusted him implicitly, and now that this important letter has to be delivered to Colossae, he chose Tychicus to be his postman. I should imagine that he was in no sense a significant-looking man; but you would be wrong if you passed him on the road thinking him as of no importance - he was a man with a message. He carried this Epistle, a part of the very Word of GOD. We also, if we are Christians, bear in our person the message of CHRIST. Paul goes further when he says, in 2 Corinthians 3:3, "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of CHRIST . . . written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God." Here, then, is this insignificant man charged with such a significant errand. But how often GOD works that way. "Not many wise men are called, not many mighty, not many noble," 1 Corinthians 1:26 - he doesn’t say not any, but not many. "God hath chosen" insignificant folk. Not that He could not have the Somebodies; but He quite deliberately often chooses the Nobodies - a boot-maker’s errand-boy, D. L. Moody; a mill-girl, Mary Slessor. It looks as if there’s hope of a chance for you and me in the Great Employ. ONESIMUS - the Man with a Past I wonder what the Colossian church folk thought when they found this fellow in the Group. He belonged to that town; had been a slave in the service of a well-to-do member of the community there, Philemon. He had robbed his master, and bolted. Like many another runaway thief, or other criminal, he had found his way to the Imperial City, magnificent in its splendour, but squalid beyond words in the pestiferous purlieus behind the imposing facade. Lightfoot called it "the common sink of all the worst vices of humanity". It was to the slums of this Rome that Onesimus had gravitated. But the sovereign grace of GOD was after this sinner; and someone found him, who brought him to Paul, who brought him to CHRIST. "My son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds," Philemon 1:10. And now "a faithful and beloved brother who is one of us," Colossians 4:9. All that past is now forgiven, as, bless GOD, any man’s past may be, however wicked. Paul is a true and faithful pastor; and he knows that if this man is to grow in grace, and have the joy of full salvation, he must, now that he is at peace with GOD, go and put things right with the one he has wronged. Be it borne in mind that restitution is a first principle of the spiritual life. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift," Matthew 5:23-24. Any reparation that is in our power to make must be undertaken. This is going to be a most difficult thing for Onesimus, for his erstwhile employer, under the Law of the time, has powers of severest punishment. It turns out that this Philemon is another of Paul’s converts - "thou owest unto me even thine own self," Philemon 1:19; and so the apostle writes him the personal letter, beseeching his favour for his returned slave. It is a beautiful letter, which will surely melt the heart of the recipient, and secure the boon of mercy for the renegade. Onesimus is to take it, and present it personally. But what if, on nearing his destination, he should get scared, and turn back? Why, Tychicus also is going to Colossae, with the public letter to the church. Good idea, they shall travel together; and if there shall be any sign of panic, Tychicus will deal with the matter, and keep the fearful one up to his duty. Ay, Paul was ever a strategist! ARISTARCHUS - the Man with a Heart What a "comfort" (11) this man was to the apostle. The first mention of him is in Acts 19:29, where we find him alongside of Paul in the fierce riot at Ephesus, stirred up by the devotees of Diana. Paul escaped; but they "caught" Aristarchus. We move on to Acts 27:2, and we discover this man still with the apostle amid the hurricane rigours of the "tempestuous Euroclydon". Such sharing of stormy experiences must have drawn the two very close together. And now here he is yet, described as "my fellow-prisoner" - sharing again; this time, some fonn of voluntary confinement. This friend of the evangelist had learned and practised the Christian exhortation, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," Galatians 6:2. Ultimately, of course, "every man shall bear his own burden" (verse Galatians 6:5); but, with the shoulder of our sympathy, and practical aid, we can help to take some of the weight of the trouble off our friend’s back, even if it is only to remind them to "cast thy burden upon the Lord," Psalms 4:22. I have known Christian people who have had no distinction in the exercise of public gifts; they could not lead a meeting, or give an address, they were not on the church council, nor had any prominent place in their church; but yet they were the most beloved and most effective of members. They were burden-bearers. Somehow, whenever anyone was in trouble, it was to these folk that they went, and always found comfort and help. It is a great thing to be of the family of Aristarchus. MARCUS - the Man with a Future But surely he, too, was a man with a past? Yes, indeed. How happily and enthusiastically he started out on that first missionary tour, when he went with Barnabas and Saul, as the junior member of the party, Acts 13:2; Acts 13:5. They had a great time on the island; but when plans were being made to go on back to the mainland, Mark, for some evidently unjustifiable reason, decided that he would "depart" home, and so deserted them. After some time Paul suggested to Barnabas that they should make a return visit to the places of their previous tour with the Gospel, to exhort the converts to continue stedfast in the faith. Barnabas, dear man, was all for it; but there was strong disagreement as to whether or not they should take Mark again. Paul said "No," and of course he was right. How could they urge the young Christians to be loyally stedfast, if they took with them a young man who had deserted. Barnabas said "Yes," and of course he was right in taking Mark with him back to Cyprus, where he had not deserted. So, out of the "dissension" arose two missionary societies, instead of one. Yes, he had a past; but that is now all over. Largely, I suppose, he had a second chance through the kindly action of his uncle. Do you think that GOD ever judges a man on a first chance? I recollect how Peter, after his dismal failure, was graciously re-instated in his apostleship to "feed" the flock. I recall how Jonah ran away from GOD, rather than go to preach to the despised Gentiles, and how "the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time," Jonah 3:1. And now, here is young Mark - such a disappointment, but GOD will not leave him there. A past, yes; but as we look at him there in the group, it is his future - of which, at the moment, he is wholly unaware - that strikes us. Listen: this is the man upon whom GOD has His hand for the writing of the Second Gospel. You and I are not given the honour of writing a Gospel, but we are privileged in being a Gospel - "You are writing a Gospel, a chapter each day, By all that you do, and all that you say. Men read what you write, whether faithless, or true. Say! What is the Gospel according to you?" So John Mark gets his second chance; and he is now back again with his old leader, and Paul rejoices to have him in the group of his now faithful friends. That is a wonderful testimony that the apostle gives, when writing from his last, and more rigorous, imprisonment - "Take Mark, and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry," 2 Timothy 4:11. What a glorious come-back! If any of us have wandered, let us take heed and heart, in the knowledge that, if there is sincere repentance, there remains for us a future of boon and blessedness. I don’t know what, but something, for Him and His glory. It is a poignant remark that Paul adds here - "touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him," Colossians 4:10. I suppose they heard about his early disloyalty to their friend; and if he dared to come near them, they would show him what they thought of him! No, no, says Paul, not a cold shoulder, but a warm hand. That’s the way to welcome home a backslider. Look at Galatians 6:1 - "lf a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted". We can happily leave the matter there. JESUS JUSTUS - the Man with a Name We know practically nothing about this man, except that he was a Jew, and was one of those who were a "comfort" to the apostle. We do know his name: but, what a Name! It was a quite common name in Palestine. According to the Early Church historian, Origen, it was even the name of Barabbas. "Barabbas" was only his description - "Bar," son of: "Abbas," the Rabbi. Son of the Manse, as we should say. What a pity that such a son should come to such a pass. Down the years, alas, there have been not a few tragedies somewhat of the sort. How vivid, then, was Pilate’s challenge - which of the two will you have: Jesus Bar-abbas, or JESUS CHRIST? This common name is common no longer since the Saviour bore it, and did so for its significance of meaning, "for He shall save His people from their sins," Matthew 1:21. The name actually means "the Lord the Saviour". Tell me, reader, is He Your Saviour, and your Lord? Do you recall that James 2:7 speaks of those who blaspheme "that worthy Name by the which ye are called". It is sometimes suggested that the name "Christians" was given to believers by way of ridicule. "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch," Acts 11:26. "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," Acts 26:28 - me . . . a Christian! "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed," 1 Peter 4:16. I am not so sure about this suggestion. Anyhow, it is a truly honourable and worthy name, Christians - CHRIST-ones. It takes some living up to; and only CHRIST Himself can enable us to live, and be, truly Christian. It - was the living Lord who wrote to certain professors of the Name, "thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead," Revelation 3:1. What does He say of us who really do bear the Name-are we really living it? EPAPHRAS - the Man with a Passion This was apparently the man who, on the human side, founded the church at Colossae; and Paul records that "he hath a great zeal for you," 13. It is good to come across a man with real enthusiasm - be it for art, for music, for sport, for bird-watching, or what not; but how rarely we find it amongst us Christians for the Master’s cause. The Lord has Himself told us, in no uncertain terms, what He feels about "luke-warm" People, Revelation 3:15-16 - tepid Christianity. What strange bedfellows these two words make! How shall we be anything other than eager, if we have any experience and understanding of the love of GOD toward us, any real grasp of the amazing grace of the crucified and risen Lord; and how shall we be other than earnest, by the transforming power in our own lives, to commend Him to others as the living Saviour, Master, and Friend of all who Trust and Obey. Ah yes, this Epaphras had zeal enough for the welfare and well-being of his beloved congregation. Doubtless that eagerness was evidenced in the relationship existing between them and him. He would be their comfort in hard experiences, their counsellor in solving their problems, their devoted friend along the road, their trusted leader in all the church life and personal life. But now he is miles away. He has gone off to Rome to consult Paul about that Gnostic heresy that we have spoken of in an earlier Study. Removed from them by all that long distance, he can now do nothing for them, nothing to help in nurturing these Colossian "babes in CHRIST," 1 Corinthians 3:1. But, can he not? I thought it was said that he had a great zeal for them. Surely, such a passion will out! No untoward circumstance will quite damp down an enthusiasm like his! What can he do for them? He can still, even so far removed, do for them the greatest thing that any Christian can do for another: he can pray, and evidently he throws into this strategic ministry all that GOD-directed enthusiasm that characterises all his work for them. Listen: "always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God," Colossians 4:12. "Labouring fervently," one word in the Greek, a word of which our English "agonising" is but a transliteration. There he was, on his knees, wrestling with GOD for these people. His whole heart and soul were in it, his entire surrendered being was caught up in the task. I can imagine him rising from his knees utterly spent, completely exhausted. We should have counted ourselves as being like him, if it had been said that he grew tired of praying and gave it up; but have we ever, like him, grown tired through praying? Oh, to be thus prayer-warriors: battling for souls, with what, in his Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan calls "the weapon of all prayer". Such supplication overleaps all distances, all barriers. The friend in China can be reached via the Throne. The unfriendly neighbour can be reached via the Throne. The believers in Colossae can be reached by Epaphras, in distant Rome, via the Throne. The good man believed that, which is why he spent so much time in it - "always" at it; which is why he spent so much energy in it - "labouring fervently". Do we believe in this tremendous ministry of intercession? It should be a Christian’s natural employ, for listen: "unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us . . . priests unto God and His Father," Revelation 1:5-6. It is the priest’s particular prerogative to offer to GOD the incense of intercession. The New Testament teaches the priesthood of all believers. So let us take heed to the oft-heard challenge, "Let us Pray": let us, indeed, and that in the spirit of this dear man. I say! What attractive people the apostle has snapshotted here. LUKE - the Man with a Gift How often an affectionate relationship grows up between a man and his doctor. It seems to have been like that between Paul and his "beloved physician". It would appear that the two first met at Troas; and I would hazard the guess that Paul had there an attack of his illness, his "thorn in the flesh," 2 Corinthians 12:7, and that he had to call in a doctor. So Dr. Luke first came into contact with his out-of-the-ordinary patient - unusual, because, as I fancy, Paul brought his physician to CHRIST. This apostle was a man of such all-round capacity, and full-orbed personality, that he was able to attract not only the lowly, like Tychicus, but the brilliantly educated, like Dr. Luke. All his own personal gifts were laid under contribution for the advancement of the Kingdom. "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some," 1 Corinthians 9:22. What of Luke’s gift? Legend has it that he was a considerable painter; but certainly he was an artist in words. What vivid and what attractive pictures he has given us, both in his Gospel, and in the Acts, in these "Stories from the Diary of a Doctor". His principal gift, of course, was that of medicine; and that gift he laid at the feet of the Divine Physician, and became the first medical missionary. It is thrilling to notice that Luke did actually join Paul’s mission party from Troas onward, as we surmise from his record of the Pauline travels: note the significant change of pronouns. "They came down to Troas" - Luke is not with them. "We endeavoured to go into Macedonia," Acts 16:8; Acts 16:10 - Luke, by his use now of "we," is journeying with them. Think of Matthew’s gift, keeping the accounts in his office, who, when he was converted, dedicated his pen to the Master’s service, and was used for the penning of the first Gospel. And what of us? Have we some gift to use for Him - music, needlework, games, hobbies, languages, art, personality? GOD can use them each and all - yes, even Tabitha’s needlework, Acts 9:39. Most people have some gift, whether brilliant or humble. Will you let Him have your gift along with your self? You might even become known as "the beloved stamp collector"! DEMAS - the Man with a Bias This is the last man in Paul’s group photograph taken in Rome. He is, to mix the metaphor, the fly in the ointment. You notice that he is the only one about whom the apostle has not one word to say. I wonder if there is any reason for that? in the private letter to Philemon he is called "my fellow-labourer," Philemon 1:24 - but here, nothing at all. Do you think that he was already beginning to show signs of cooling off, which ended in that tragic sentence about him that Paul wrote in his very last letter - "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world," 2 Timothy 4:10. He had this fatal bias within him, though he was a Christian. We are not told what form his weakness took. John Bunyan thinks it was money - not in itself wrong, of course, but "the love of money is the root of all [kinds of, Gk.] evil," 1 Timothy 6:10. You Will recall the story in Pilgrim’s Progress of how the two pilgrims, Christian and Hopeful, are accosted by a man who has discovered a silver mine, and who tries to lure them to stray out of their path, to become rich quickly. The incomparable allegorist calls that man Demas. I wonder? I do know that the temptation of riches has caused the downfall of many Christians. Paul quite often uses the word "flesh" - and in two senses. (1) Sometimes, he means the component of our physical frame - "the life that I now live in the flesh," Galatians 2:20. (2) Sometimes, however, he uses the word in a kind of technical sense, and the context must guide us as to its immediate connotation. in this latter connection, the "flesh" is that lower nature within, which we inherit from Adam - "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit", Galatians 5:17. That evil nature is the bias that we carry within our being, which will cause us to stray from the white of His holiness, and to wander off into sin. But, thank GOD, the Christian is a two-natured person, he has also within him a Divine counter-action, so that the evil warp can be controlled and conquered - "the Spirit [lusteth] against the flesh . . . so that ye cannot do the things that ye would [if left to yourself]". Such a life of control by the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT is one bright aspect of Full Salvation. Thus we close our look at the Group. The names that follow, in the close of the Epistle, are of people, not with him in Rome, as these eight are, but residing at Colossae and neighbourhood, members of the church, to whom the apostle sends his affectionate greetings. As we conclude our contemplation of our eight, shall we not seek grace of GOD to follow their good example, and "flee . . . and follow . . . and fight," 1 Timothy 6:11-12? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 59: 03.11. COLOSSIANS 4:15-18 -- HIS KIND REGARDS ======================================================================== CHAPTER 11 -- HIS KIND REGARDS Colossians 4:15-18 IT IS a common practice, isn’t it, to finish our letters with some such wishes as "My love to So and So," or "Kind remembrances to the family". Well, Paul does something of the sort here. There are certain people in the Colossian area that are known to him, to whom he sends his kind regards. I think that three words will summarise this concluding paragraph. DEFICIENCY is possible The church of the Laodiceans. It is not for nothing that Paul calls them "brethren," Colossians 4:15 . We often use the term for our fellow Christians in a merely formal manner, with little meaning attaching to it; but in the Early Church it was a reality. The special relationship between believers is illustrated in such a passage as Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith". A mutual care for members of the Family was noteworthy in those early days. "See how these Christians love one another" was the observation of lookers-on. The same words are sometimes used about us to-day, but spoken with a cynical twist. We see how, in fact, deficiency is possible within a church, a body of CHRIST, wherein "the members should have the same care one for another," 1 Corinthians 12:25. Indeed, for the mutual relationships of all members, however different their characters, and their gifts, and their functions, it would be immensely profitable for us to study afresh that whole Corinthian chapter. The harmony of the whole is not to be disturbed by the wrongful attitude of anyone member toward another. I suppose that, in our bodies, the eye is the most delicate, and most important, of our outward organs; and it would appear that the hand is the most homely - but there is no reason for the former to look down disparagingly upon its more handy neighbour. "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee"; verse 1 Corinthians 12:21. Neither is there to be any stupid envy or self-pity, "If the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" verse 1 Corinthians 12:16. No fancied superiority; no feelings of envy; no individual squabbles, like they had in the church at Philippi - "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord," Php 4:2; nothing to mar the peace of the body in CHRIST. How greatly helped to this end would be these two neighbouring churches, the Colossian, and the Laodicean, by their perusal of their respective epistles (Colossians 4:16). So far as our Epistle is concerned, being the inspired Word, no church can know real peace, real blessing, real fruit, unless it is built upon the Word of GOD. The church which is in his house. We don’t know who he was; but we do know what he was, a real believer, or he would not have thrown open his house for the assembly of GOD’s people. It is interesting to note that in these days, in some of the new housing estates, when there is as yet no hall, the church meets in somebody’s house - a little company forgathering here for worship. After all, the church is not the building, but the people. In the closing stages of the last war, after a bombing incident, it was said that our church in Beckenham had been destroyed. Don’t you believe it. From the early hours of the next morning it was plainly evident that the church was very much alive. "Ye . . . are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices," 1 Peter 2:5. The church later on. This became, of course, as it grew, and developed, more organised; but, alas, not necessarily more healthy. We have only to recall the condition of the very church of the Laodiceans, that we have been thinking of, to see how gravely deterioration can set in, and deficiency become apparent. The sad record is in Revelation 3:14-22. - There was no spirit of enthusiasm - "neither cold, nor hot": tepid! - There was no sense of need - "I have need of nothing"; blatant self-sufficiency. - There were many who had no spiritual relationship to CHRIST - "if any man. .. open the door, I will come in"; they had entered in the door of the visible church, but kept closed the door to the church’s Lord. What a state of church life is here revealed. It only serves to emphasize how watchful our church, and its members, should be, lest "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful," Mark 4:19. EFFICIENCY is required "Take heed to the ministry," Colossians 4:17. This is, as you see, a special, personal message to Archippus. I wonder who he was. Perhaps he was taking the place of Epaphras - inter regnum, as we should say - while the latter was away in Rome, consulting with Paul. Our apostle would have him be careful to fulfil the obligation, and the responsibilities, which would now, in the absence of his leader, devolve upon him. We stay to ask whether any kind of ministry has been laid upon us. Archippus, as we suppose, acted and spoke in Epaphras’ stead. Paul has something of that when he says, in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God". - A ministry of song; - a ministry of healing; - a ministry of comfort; - a ministry of prayer; - a ministry of testimony; - a ministry of preaching; - a ministry of household duty; - a ministry of holy living What, do you surmise, is your appointed ministry? Let us "take heed" to it, and see that, by GOD’s grace, we use it to the help of others, and to the glory of GOD. How wonderful if we could say, "And they glorified God in me," Galatians 1:24. "Which thou hast received." It was not following upon his own initiative. GOD gave it to him, GOD sent him forth to do it. What strength that imparts to a man’s call and commission, since if He sends, He must be held responsible for supplies. "Come now, therefore, and I will send thee" Exodus 3:1 O - and to the reluctant Moses He gives the twofold assurance, "I will be with thee," Exodus 3:12; "I will be with thy mouth," Exodus 4:12. Again, "Go in this thy might . . . have not I sent thee?" Judges 6:14 - and the hesitant Gideon goes forth in reliance upon GOD’s provision. He Who bids you onward go, will not fail the way to show." "In the Lord." We must first be "in" Him before we can work "for" Him. Every real Christian is, by His mercy, in Him, as we have reminded each other in an earlier study. Are we then working for Him, in our several ministries, as instanced above? Paul has another proposition, which he uses to enhearten the worker: the word "with" - "we are labourers together with God" 1 Corinthians 3:9. What a difference the little word makes. How much better a gardener works when his master works with him. Let the servant of CHRIST covet to have the Master working alongside, providing incentive, encouragement, and wherewithal. So -: SUFFICIENCY is guaranteed The apostle has now signed the letter - rather clumsily, on account of his "bonds" by the wrist to his military guard. See our first Study. One word remains, to round off his Kind Regards - a word that, as a matter of fact holds the secret spring of all hope of Full Salvation - "Grace be with you". Almost all of Paul’s letters begin and end with it - Romans Just ends with it. Is Hebrews by him? Anyhow, It bears his ending, this "Grace". GOD’s grace, which signifies His attitude, and His aid, is a constant wonder and theme of the apostle. Both aspects of it are vividly presented in this - "By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me," 1 Corinthians 15:10. We find that Peter joins Paul in magnifying the grace of GOD. There is an interesting Greek word, poikdos, which occurs several times in the New Testament, and which Peter uses twice, both in his First Epistle, and which is translated "manifold": (a) "Ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations," Colossians 1:6. (b) "Good stewards of the manifold grace of GOD," Colossians 4:10. Put those two things together. On the one hand, let the five digits, all so different in character, from the thumb to the little finger, stand for the "manifold" trials and testings of life. On the other hand, let the five digits stand for the "manifold" grace. Now put the right hand over the left, and observe how the fingers of the "grace" hand exactly correspond to those of the "temptations" hand. Only an illustration; but an illustration of a beautiful fact - that whatever may be the need, there is at hand just the very grace to meet it. So these two grand apostles, so deeply acquainted with the hazards of life, join together in bearing testimony, out of their own wide and deep experience, to the all-sufficiency of this boon of GOD, available for all emergencies. As GOD Himself said to Paul, at a time when he was in distress, on account of his "thorn in the flesh" - "My grace is sufficient for thee," 2 Corinthians 12:9. Our Epistle suggests many situations in which that provision for our "manifold" needs may be tested. Take out one or two, at random. To make progress in the Christian life. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him," Colossians 2:6. We all recognise that this is essential to the healthiness, and happiness, and, indeed, the helpfulness of the Christian life. Probably, we shall all, whether in greater or less degree, desire to grow. Our problem is not What, but How? The answer is, Grace: GOD’s supply for man’s situation - by faith and obedience, keep clear and clean the pipeline, that the oil of grace may flow into our need uninterruptedly. "Grow in grace," 2 Peter 3:18. To stand up successfully to false teachings. "Beware lest any man spoil you . . . Let no man beguile you," Colossians 2:8; Colossians 2:18. Just as in our day, so in Paul’s day, "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints," Jude 1:3, was constantly assailed with intellectual problems, as well as moral perils. We shall not be afraid to think out our theological, and spiritual, position, but we shall be assiduously on our guard against the "vain" vapourings of untruth. in other words, we shall be wise to seek the grace of diligence in the study of the Word - "Study to shew thyself approved unto GOD, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth," 2 Timothy 2:15. Through the Word of Holy Scripture, the HOLY SPIRIT will "guide you into all truth," John 16:13. So shall there be given to us the Grace of Smell. Does that phrase surprise you? But remember that when Paul is illustrating the various gifts of the Body of CHRIST’S Church, he indicates the necessity of this function of spiritual quality - "where were the smelling?" 1 Corinthians 12:17. In view of the prevalence of false teaching, it is a good thing to have what a friend of mine calls "a spiritual sense of smell" - to be so instructed in the Word as to be able, almost instinctively, to detect the false. We dealt with this in our third Study. Do you know that bit in Isaiah 11:3, "And shall make him of quick understanding"? in the margin of that verse it says that the Hebrew word translated understanding means scent, or smell, so that the One referred to shall be made by the Spirit a Person of keen scent, quickly discerning between the false and the true. This, too, is a gift of Grace. To be the best in all home relationships. "Wives, husbands; children, fathers; servants, masters," Colossians 3:18-25, Colossians 4:1. Happy the household where there is mutual understanding and co-operation - each for all, all for each. "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it," 1 Corinthians 12:26. Because the rest of the family know us so well, and because we are there often off our guard, home is often the hardest place in which to witness, and shine, for our Lord. But here again grace comes to our assistance - GOD’s aid for the godly. Is it fair to say that the Saviour spent thirty years in the home training for three years in the ministry? Was it not the observation and experience of His way in the home that enabled Mary to say with such confidence to others in their problem, "Whatever He saith unto you, do it," John 2:5. Yes, home is a great testing place, and a fine training ground - to pass the test, and to profit from the training calls for the daily Grace of GOD. To give Him the first place in everything. "That in all things He might have the pre-eminence," Colossians 1:18. What a picture and promise of the life of Full Salvation. With Him in the first place, all else will fall into its right place. In the far-off days, when the ladies wore long gloves on going to a party, a small girl was struggling with the inscrutable problem of where to put the unending series of buttons, when her mother explained, "It’s really simple. Get the top one in the top button-hole, and all the others will follow right, to the last one". That truly is the case in the spiritual life: give Him the first place, and all will follow right. But, of course, the trouble is that wretched thing Self. How subtly it enters even into our spiritual service: why are we so busy in the work? Is it with a single eye to GOD’s glory, or does there enter into it any vestige of unworthy motive, any seeking after our own glory? Let us constantly beware even "the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes," Song of Solomon 2:15. Self-control is of great importance, if He is to have the pre-eminence; but even this control is a gift of Grace, for we are not left to exercise it by our strong will and determination, for "the fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control," Galatians 5:23, margin. It is He, not we, to do it, if only we will look to Him for it. So it shall be "Not I, but Christ," Galatians 2:20, which is the very essence of Grace’s accomplishment in us of Full Salvation. To continue true, without backsliding. Our eyes stray back to the group photograph, to the figure of Demas. And as we contemplate his sad decline, we recall the words of the famous old preacher, John Bradford, as he watched a poor prisoner handcuffed to a policeman, "There goes John Bradford, but for the grace of GOD". He will, if we will. Thus we have all the power of GOD Himself to keep us on the road. Let Philip Doddridge close our meditation - "’Twas grace that wrote my name in life’s eternal book; ’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb, Who all my sorrows took. Grace taught my wandering feet To tread the heavenly road; And new supplies each hour I meet While pressing on to GOD. Grace taught my soul to pray, And made my eyes o’erflow; ’Tis grace has kept me to this day, And will not let me go. Grace all the work shall crown Through everlasting days; It lays in heaven the topmost stone, And well deserves the praise. Oh, let that grace inspire My soul with strength divine! May all my powers to Thee aspire And all my days be Thine." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 60: 04.00.1. JOY WAY - AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS ======================================================================== JOY WAY An Exposition of the Epistle of Paul TO THE PHILIPPIANS by Guy H. King ======================================================================== CHAPTER 61: 04.00.2. PREFACE TO THE E-SWORD EDITION ======================================================================== Preface to the e-Sword Edition When I first discovered the amazing power of e-Sword, I was connected to the internet with a 56k fax modem. My enthusiasm for the program and its plethora of resources motivated me to stay up all night downloading its riches. I spent the next several days exploring the amazing variety of study material. As a busy pastor, I’ve tried to assemble a classic research library. As a busy pastor of a small church, I’ve tried to inexpensively assemble a classic research library. E-Sword immediately added many valuable assets that I hadn’t yet purchased; and those resources that e-Sword duplicated were much easier and faster to use than the paper versions. Since that wonderful first week, I’ve discovered many more treasures through Google searches. Then one day I realized that I owed a debt. I made a contribution to Rick Meyers (Rick - you are the modern day Gutenberg; should the Lord not return in the near future like I believe He will, you will do for Bible study the next 100 years what Gutenberg did in the 1500’s), and then started looking for public domain resources to convert to .topx files. And so my personal journey has come full circle: from the excitement of discovering e-Sword to the excitement of creating .topx files for others. Like Rick quotes from Matthew 10:8, "freely ye have received, freely give." Thank you, Michelle, Jeremiah, Isaiah & Micah, for understanding my debt and graciously tolerating my near compulsive computer use for hours on end. My thanks to the creator of e-Sword, Rick Meyers - www.e-sword.net. Thank you, Mr. Guy King, for converting your studies to eternal print. A special thanks to Mr. Virgil Butts of www.baptistbiblebelievers.com for typing the manuscript. Thanks also to Mr. Jason Briggs, Mr. Ed Sandlin & Mrs. Pamela Marshall for so enriching my own eS ministry. And of course - most importantly - my thanks to the Lord Jesus who saved my soul for all eternity. This Edition There have been no changes to King’s work, except for the following: Scripture references have been converted to Scripture hyperlinks using the "Format Scripture ToolTip." A few obvious Scripture reference errors have been corrected, as well as some obvious spelling errors. The copy and paste process may have removed some of the italicized print. While the words have not been changed, some of King’s emphasis may be missing. It is with regret that I have not taken the time to correct this. The sense is still accurate. [By the way - would you understand this paragraph without italics? Of course!] Also, the italicizing of the foreign words have been lost. It is my hope that the reader will be able to follow the flow regardless of these flaws. They - the flaws - are mine, not King’s. I am quite sure my edition of King’s work is rather imperfect. I pray that, nonetheless, it will be productively useful in the study of God’s Word. Finally Feel free to contact me with comments. You can reach me via e-mail at dm5thomason@bigfoot.com Also, if you convert a classic resource to e-Sword .topx file (or .dctx, .cmtx, etc.), send me your work! I’d love to utilize it! If you haven’t joined the e-Sword Users group, visit www.e-sword-users.org and check it out. This is a free group, with lots of third-party resources (like this one!) and help from other e-Sword users. May the Lord bless you as study His word. Dr. David S. Thomason Florida, USA 2010 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 62: 04.00.3. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ======================================================================== Copyright Information "Joy Way" was originally Copyrighted © 1952 by the CHRISTIAN LITERATURE CRUSADE, Pennsylvania. This book is now out of print, and the copyright has lapsed. It is public domain. During online Internet searches of the Library of Congress database in Washington D.C., performed on 11-6-2005, no evidence of a current copyright was found for this publication. This finding was verified with both the Stanford and Rutgers Copyright Renewal databases. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 63: 04.00.4. DEDICATION ======================================================================== Dedication TO THOSE GREAT VETERANS OF FAITH, AND OF THE GOSPEL J. RUSSELL HOWDEN, B.D. AND W. W. MARTIN, M.A. Who have greatly honoured me with their affection and inspired me with their example edited for 3BMB by Baptist Bible Believer in the spirit of the Colportage Ministry of a century ago ======================================================================== CHAPTER 64: 04.00.5. FOREWARD ======================================================================== Foreward THE roads in Beckenham are so often called Ways - there is Abbots Way, Beck Way, Manor Way, Lloyd’s Way, Whitecroft Way, Druid’s Way, Goodhart Way, Hayes Way, Malmain’s Way, Overhill Way, Wickham Way, Altyre Way, Aviemore Way, Bolderwood Way, Bramley Way, Bushey Way, Village Way - and a score of others. But there is no Joy Way, so I thought I would remedy the omission. For as we make our journey through this Epistle to the PHILIPPIANS, taking in the attractive features and views of the roadway, noticing especially the Wonderful Residence "in" which the Christians live, and marking the almost unclouded sunshine throughout its length, we feel that "Joy Way" is the very name for this heavenly street. Come with me then, and let us enjoy a walk together. G. H. K. CHRIST CHURCH VICARAGE, BECKENHAM ======================================================================== CHAPTER 65: 04.00.6. TABLE OF CONTENTS ======================================================================== Table of Contents 01. SALUT D’AMOUR, Php 1:1-2 02. THE GOOD COMPANIONS, Php 1:3-8 03. WHAT A HAPPY PRAYER! Php 1:9-11 04. THE HAPPINESS OF A HUMBLE SPIRIT, Php 1:12-26 05. HAPPY WARRIORS, Php 1:27-30; Php 2:1-4 06. RUNGS OF GLADNESS, Php 2:5-11 07. NOW, AND HOW, Php 2:12-13 08. DARKEST PLACES NEED THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS, Php 2:14-18 09. A COUPLE OF FINE SPECIMENS, Php 2:19-30 10. PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT, Php 3:1-11 11. A SPORTING INTERLUDE, Php 3:12-16 12. HEAVEN BELOW, Php 3:17-21 13. A FLY IN THE OINTMENT, Php 4:1-3 14. ONE HUNDRED PER CENT, Php 4:4-9 15. ENOUGH AND TO SPARE, Php 4:10-20 16. GOOD-BYE, SAINTS! Php 4:21-23 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 66: 04.01. SALUT D'AMOUR - PPH 1:1-2 ======================================================================== Salut d’Amour - Php 1:1-2 Chapter One THE opening of this Epistle is different from that of most in one very interesting particular. It is a difference shared by all three of the Macedonian Epistles - this, and the two to the Thessalonians - and by the little personal note to Philemon. It consists in the somewhat noteworthy absence of the word "Epistle". In all his other letters, Paul feels it incumbent upon him to remind his readers that he writes with all the weight that his sublime position gives him; he will have occasion to administer rebuke, and, sometimes, rather bluntly, to give directions - and lest, because he was their friend, they might treat his words not too seriously, he takes care to let them understand that he speaks with an authority, and that they must give due and proper heed to what he says. But his case is otherwise when he writes to his beloved Philippians. "The church at Philippi", says Dr. Graham Scroggie, "was almost quite free from those errors which beset so many of the churches of that day"; and he goes on to quote Professor Findlay as saying, "This is an Epistle of the heart, a true love letter, full of friendship, gratitude, and confidence." There is, we feel, no need to obtrude his apostleship here; and so his opening greetings are not inappropriately described as a "salut d’amour" - his letter will be found to be full of, and his heart to be full of, Love. As we turn, then, to examine the inspired sentences which introduce this moving document, we are likely to be arrested at the outset by THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CHRISTIANS It is given in terms of their relationship to the LORD JESUS CHRIST: and that must, of course, ever be remembered to be the true starting-point of all Christian experience, and all Christian instruction. We do well, in taking up the study of any of the Epistles, to enquire carefully into that matter of where we stand in reference to Him. The Epistles are, in a fundamental sense, the property of believers - they have, except incidentally, nothing to say to the people of the world - their message is addressed to the Church, the members of His body - their teaching is to be grasped and enjoyed only by those who have been truly "born again" of the same SPIRIT who inspired the writing of the Epistles. We are, therefore, not wasting time if we pause to ask ourselves about our relationship to CHRIST - have we, indeed, received Him into our hearts and lives, as our own personal SAVIOUR? Only so, have we legitimate entrance to this Treasure House; if so, we have undisputed access to all its Treasure Trove. Our relationship to Him then determines both how we get into it, and what we get out of it. Note what is said here concerning that relationship, for the terms employed are applicable to all believers - both to Paul and Timothy who send forth the Epistle, and to the original, and all subsequent, readers of it: you and me amongst them. "The Servants." Let it be said at once that the word here is the same as "bond-slaves" - a conception which would be vividly familiar to every reader of this Letter. Quite a number of them were, or had been, slaves themselves - and the word would catch their attention at once. I say "had been" of some, because the law of manumission would have operated in their case - a price would have been paid, and the slave set free. In his fascinating Light from the Ancient East, Dr. Deissmann, pp. 319 ff., has some most interesting paragraphs on this releasing of slaves; and, with his quick and ready mind, the late Archbishop Harrington Lees, in his CHRIST and His Slaves, made use of the learned Doctor’s discoveries to point many a moral concerning spiritual servitude and release. Paul’s writings abound in allusions to this last phenomenon. The material and the spiritual are found together in such a passage as 1 Corinthians 7:22, "He that is called in the LORD, being a servant, is the Lord’s freedman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant". When a man becomes a Christian, though materially bound as a slave, he is spiritually freed from bondage to Satan and sin; on the other hand, such a man, though materially set at liberty, is, in the spiritual sense, bound hand and foot to CHRIST. How Paul himself rejoiced - and even gloried - in this New Slavery. In his letters he so constantly uses the word as indicating his relationship to JESUS CHRIST. He would so readily enter into the attitude of the well-satisfied slave of Exodus 21:5, "I love my Master . . . I will not go out free." From the bondage of sin, the believer has, by the manumission price of "the precious Blood", 1 Peter 1:18-19, been set free-only to find himself thereby committed to a bondage more binding than ever. Yet, this time the "service is perfect freedom", the bonds are honourable and sweet. And, for our encouragement, let us remember that (i) The Master is responsible for His slaves’ needs - feeding, housing, clothing, and all else is the slaveowner’s concern. It is because we are GOD’S servants (slaves) that our Lord says "Therefore . . . take no thought . . .", Matthew 6:24-25, for the ordinary needs of life. Our apostle will say later in this very Epistle, Php 4:19, "My GOD shall supply all your need." Also (ii) The Master is responsible for His slaves’ duties - they will not choose their own task, or their own sphere. Whether ours is to be the more menial, or the more genial, work is in His plan, not ours. It is the Christian’s wisdom to stand before Him as those in 2 Samuel 15:15, "Thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint", or as Gabriel in Luke 1:19, "I . . . stand. . . and am sent . . .". Then, too (iii) The Master is responsible for His slaves’ supplies - "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?" asks 1 Corinthians 9:7 : the soldier has all his military equipment provided; and likewise, the slave is supplied with everything needful for the adequate discharge of all his duties. Whatever He tells us to do, we can do - "If . . . God command thee . . . thou shalt be able to . . ." Exodus 18:23 - because all supplies are at our disposal. And as Paul records, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for thee." "The Saints." All GOD’S people are thus designated - the sense of the word being "set apart", or "consecrated"; and this quite irrespective of personal character. As Lightfoot points out, "Even the irregularities and profligacies of the Corinthian Church do not forfeit it this title". Yet, be it said that those who are positionally holy are expected to be practically holy. I am always intrigued by the way it is put in Romans 1:7, and in 1 Corinthians 1:2, "called to be saints" - where the "to be" is printed in italics, as indicating that those words are not in the Greek but are introduced by the translators to give what they deem to be the sense. But just "called saints" would be accurate, wouldn’t it? In this very Epistle they are called "saints", and in others; it is one of GOD’S names for His own. Yes, but as soon as we are "called saints" we are "called to be saints"! To be what we are. There would be something wrong about a prince living like a pauper, about an Englishman masquerading as an alien, about a grown-up person behaving like a child - no. Let’s be what we are. If, by GOD’S mercy and grace, we are Christians, let us in all things comport ourselves as such: if we are "called saints", we are most assuredly "called to be saints": let our conduct, then, be "as becometh saints", Ephesians 5:3, in all respects. What a tremendous impression would be made upon the world if only we Christians were what we are. It is one of the world’s most damaging accusations against us that we do not act up to our profession. A Christian is a "CHRIST’S one": let him, then, be Christly - to use the word that W. Y. Fullerton was so fond of. Come now, how much of this true saintliness is there about us? Never mind about considering, or criticising, others - what about ourselves, you and me: do Name and Nature coincide? Whether we be "bishops", "presbyters", (Lightfoot), or "deacons", or members of the rank and file, we are all to be saints. Here, then, in these two great words, "servants" and "saints", we have the apostle’s description of Christians everywhere. Let us pass on to observe: THE DWELLING-PLACE OF THE CHRISTIANS The particular believers addressed in this letter are said to live (i) At Philippi. It was an interesting city. (a) Geographically - it was situate on the great high road between Europe and Asia, and so possessed great strategic importance. Let it be noted that Paul, with astute generalship, always, for the spread of the Gospel, had his eye upon the big centres of population, trade, learning, or government. Hence his purposeful longing "I must . . . see Rome", Acts 19:21, and his "good cheer" in the assurance, "thou [must] bear witness also at Rome", Acts 23:2. (b) Naturally - its surrounding land was favoured with a particularly fertile soil, and nearby were gold and silver mines. In Paul’s eye, just the spot for the sowing of the Gospel seed of the Word, and the mining of precious souls for the Kingdom. (c) Historically - it ran back to the ancient times of the Phoenicians. Subsequently, Philip of Macedon re-established it, giving it his own name. In its neighbourhood, in 42 B.C., Octavian defeated the republican forces, and in honour of his victory made it a Roman "colony". Acts 16:1-40 has a number of allusions which reflect the pride of the inhabitants in their Roman citizenship, a privilege which, as we know, Paul also enjoyed and prized. Lightfoot has this delightful note respecting our present Epistle, "Addressing a Roman colony from the Roman metropolis, writing as a citizen to citizens, he recurs to the political franchise as an apt symbol of the higher privileges of their heavenly calling, to the political life as a suggestive metaphor for the duties of their Christian profession." (d) Biblically - it is the place where the Gospel was first preached in Europe. Paul, seemingly to his surprise (for he had quite different plans, Acts 16:6-7) found himself at Troas, where he had his vision calling him to Macedonia. And now he knew why his own programme had been summarily brushed aside, for he was actually at the seaport whence he could travel direct to Europe. Imagine his excited zeal when he set forth. Even the elements seemed to speed him on his journey (as "the stars in their courses" helped forward another project, Judges 5:20) for his boat accomplished in two days (Acts 16:11), a journey which, in other conditions, took five days (Acts 20:6). What a great sequence of conquests we find in this city - amongst them, those two converts: the one, that of the capable business woman, so quiet - Lydia’s heart was opened; the other, that of the gaoler, so catastrophic - his whole being was shaken. Thus Paul was used to the winning of these two hearts, and became ever welcome to their two houses. They were the first-fruits of the Gospel, the nucleus of the Church that grew up around them: a Church that never forgot what they owed to the apostle, a Church that begat in him an undying affection, as this Epistle he wrote them abundantly reveals. If we may, as many think, include that soothsaying damsel as also a convert, we have here, as Lightfoot points out, the gaining for CHRIST of a Jewish proselytess, a Greek slave, and a Roman gaoler - female, as well as male; bond, as well as free; Gentile, as well as Jew, as Galatians 3:28 would lead us to expect. Or, as it thrilled me to recall - "Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin," as His kingly title, in John 19:20, prophesied. But - while these believers were resident in Philippi, let it be noted that they enjoyed a more intimate environment and dwelling-place (ii) "In Christ." Herein lay (a) Their protection from evil life. The moral condition of a heathen city would be a constant peril to any new converts, especially as they themselves had but just recently come out of that very heathenism. Philippi may not have been so utterly debased as Corinth, or Rome, but its atmosphere must have been a subversive influence threatening any who would live pure and true. Yet, they could be kept safe. Christians must, of course, remain in such hostile surroundings, for CHRIST must have there, as Matthew 5:13-14 teaches, the salt, the light, and the testimony. So He Himself prays "not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil", John 17:15. That keeping, that protection, is ministered to us in the fact of our being, not only "in the world", but more closely, "in Christ." A shipwrecked man writes a message, and throws it into the sea, in the hope that it may reach some shore. But will not the water damage and destroy it? No; for, while it is cast into the sea, it is first sealed in a bottle - and so it arrives. Yes; in Philippi, with all its destructive influences, but "in Christ" - so they are secure, and so, in spite of all antagonistic forces, they arrive at "the haven where they would be." Herein lay also: (b) Their possibility of holy life. We are called not only to a negative but to a positive life - "eschew evil, and do good", as 1 Peter 3:11 says. But how can a holy life be lived in such unholy surroundings? Mark that little water-spider going down to the bottom of that pond. It doesn’t really belong there, even as we believers are: "in the world" . . . but not of it, John 17:11; John 17:16. The little creature has the queer, and amazing, ability of weaving a bubble of air around itself, and hidden in that it is able to pursue its way even amid such inimical conditions - in the water, but in the bubble! So we come back to our glorious truth - in Philippi, but "in Christ"; then even in the midst of the most uncongenial surroundings, the Christ-life can be lived. As we study this Epistle, reading between the lines, we shall see how splendidly these first European believers learned the lesson, and practised the art. We, too, in our dual dwelling, shall find all our needed protection, and realise all our great possibility. And now let us turn to a third main thought of this introductory section: THE DESIRES FOR THE CHRISTIANS "Grace and peace" - just the customary greeting: - "grace", the Western, - "peace", the Eastern; but when the HOLY SPIRIT led Paul to combine them here, we may be sure that He intended their use to be something so much more than formal and usual; both writer and readers would be led to see in them very deep and rich meaning. Wilson Cash makes the interesting suggestion that "Paul combines both Jewish ’peace’ and Gentile ’grace’ in one salutation as a pledge of unity between East and West, between Jew and Gentile, in the one Saviour, who unites all in the one fellowship of His Body". Dr. Hugh Michael, in the Moffatt Commentary, speaks of "the enrichment of the commonplace by the new faith of CHRIST, which elevates a salutation into a benediction". How arrestingly that is seen in the transmutation of everything, however lowly, that He touched - a common Name, a despised City, a humble workshop, even a felon’s Cross. Dr. Johnson said of Oliver Goldsmith, "He touched nothing that he did not adorn: how infinitely truer of the Master. So here the common greeting is invested with uncommon beauty." What are these things that the apostle desires for his friends, and which are no less desirable for ourselves? (a) "Grace" - a quality which is, at once (i) an Attitude, which He adopts towards us, as in Ephesians 2:8; (ii) an Activity, which He exerts for our help, as in 1 Corinthians 15:10; and (iii) an Accomplishment, which He works in, and out from, us, as in Acts 4:33. Paul ardently, and prayerfully, desires for his converts everywhere - for he uses the words in all his church letters - that they may experience to the full this "grace", which the late Bishop Handley Moule describes as "love in action". Then comes: (b) "Peace" - the "God of all grace" is the "God of peace", 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 15:33; and it is only by, and after, His grace that we can enjoy His peace. - Peace of heart - no condemnation before GOD; - Peace of conscience - no controversy with GOD; - Peace of mind - no anxiety about life; - Peace of action - no grit in the machinery. This gift is an immensely precious boon; and it may be the possession, should be the possession, of every believer. Paul will have some deep things to say about this later. These two joys come, says our passage, "from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" - the Father is the Source, from whom they come; the Saviour is the Medium, through whom they come. Not from the world arise such blessings, nor from our circumstances, however affluent and pleasant, nor from our own inner being, however much we strive, but only from Him, through Him, and "all the fulness of the Godhead . . . and ye are complete in Him", Colossians 2:9-10. So runs the Love Greeting with which this glorious Letter opens - Salut d’amour. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 67: 04.02. THE GOOD COMPANIONS - PHP_1:3-8 ======================================================================== The Good Companions - Php 1:3-8 Chapter Two IN verse Php 1:5 Paul uses the words "your fellowship", which give the keynote of this section; and, indeed, the thought is not far away all through the Epistle. Some of the commentators, in fact, consider that "fellowship" is the real theme of the Letter, and there is much to be said for that view. Here they are, then, the Philippian Christians and the Apostle, the good companions along the way. There are difficulties, of course, and there will be disappointments, perhaps, but judging from what he says, and from what they do, it is a very happy comradeship that they have - for them, at least, it is the Joy Way through life. Mark, please, that it is: A FELLOWSHIP BEGOTTEN IN LOVE "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love", sings John Fawcett; and that should ever be the golden thread uniting all believers. It was one of the characteristics of the early church which so profoundly impressed the pagan onlookers, "See how these Christians love one other". The very same words are sometimes used by the world concerning us Christians to-day - only now they are spoken ironically! If only they were employed again as expressive of a reality, how greatly enhanced would be the power of our impact upon our age. Love is still the most impelling force in the universe. I always enjoy that legendary conversation between the Wind and the Sun, arguing which of them was the more powerful. Espying a man on earth heavily overcoated, they conceived the idea of testing their respective power by seeing which of them could the more quickly make him remove his coat. The wind began the contest, blowing his ferocious and icy blasts, only to cause the man to hug himself the tighter in his warm wrappings. Then the sun started, pouring down its rays of heat, with the result that soon first the gloves, then the scarf, came off - and then the overcoat. The sun always wins. Oh, for a great outpouring of love from the Church upon this poor, chilly world. It must, I think, begin with ourselves - the all-too-frequent criticism, and back-biting, and ignoring of one another must go, and the all-too-rare quality of brotherly concern and loving-kindness must flourish amongst fellow-believers, Galatians 6:10. We must learn to walk as Good Companions, after the secret of Romans 5:5, "The love of GOD is shed abroad in our hearts by the HOLY GHOST which is given unto us." See this true warm affection in our passage. (a) "I have you in my heart" (Php 1:7). This is better than having people (i) On our minds - for our thoughts about them might be either full of assurance, or full of anxiety, might be glad or sad. In the Philippians’ case. Paul says, "it is meet for me to think" well of you; but it would not be so in every instance. Again, this is better than merely having people (ii) On our lips - to be constantly talking about them, whether for praise or blame. Paul never tired of talking about his beloved converts; but, then, he did not stop at talking of them to others, but talked about them to GOD. Then, this is better than having people (iii) On our nerves - though we are bound to confess that some folk are uncommonly trying: be it whispered that some of us Christians are amongst the most trying of all-such bores, or such rasps, as we often are. If ever people like - well, if ever people got on Paul’s nerves, I am sure that he very soon got rid of them there; for it was his habit, as it should be ours, to have people (iv) On our hearts - then will their weaknesses and shortcomings be allowed for; then will their daily needs be catered for, then will their constant welfare be sought for; then will their deepest blessings be prayed for. There are some ministrations that are not possible to everybody; but the ministry of kindness, so fruitful for the harvest of the Kingdom, is open to all. Notice also this further phrase, (b) "How greatly I long after you all" (Php 1:8). He longs to see them again, as he probably did, after his acquittal and release from his present imprisonment; for it seems likely that he resumed his journey in between his two trials, including a proposed visit to Philippi, "I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly" (Php 2:24). He longs to hear how they are faring - "that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state" (Php 2:19). He longs to thank them personally for all the love gifts of creature comforts that they had sent him - through such as Epaphroditus, "your messenger" (Php 2:25). He longs that, in their turn, they may have the very deepest, highest, widest, richest blessings that GOD can impart, and so for "this I pray" (Php 1:9). All these longings are quickened by, measured by, and constrained by, "the bowels [yearnings] of Jesus Christ" (Php 1:8). Well - plain fact, as well as pattern for us, this is the tender affection of his part of the fellowship; later, he will have further opportunity to mention the love on their part. Such is one of the marks of the Good Companions. See next that it is -: A FELLOWSHIP EXPRESSED IN SERVICE Someone has oddly defined friendship as "Four feet on the fender" - quaint, but surely inadequate, for it is one side of the thing only. Certainly, Christian fellowship is also "Four feet on the road". Paul’s good companions were not just fellows of the armchair - but fellows of the workshop and of the warpath. Their friendship expresses itself in service - to one another, and to the common cause. That common cause is "the Gospel" (Php 1:5; Php 1:7). Paul and his friends knew this gospel as a Saving Message - a life-transforming "good news". Up against the bad news of their sinnership came this good news of CHRIST’S Saviourhood. Like in the old pre-war days, boys and men would parade the streets selling their newspapers with their placards of big events before them, so Paul had arrived in Philippi with the good news, as he says in writing Galatians 3:1 "before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth [placarded among you as] crucified among you." In those days a magistrate placarded his proclamation in a public spot that an execution had taken place - as, indeed, is done outside the prison in like circumstances to-day. So this apostle preached CHRIST crucified to these people, who had turned from their sin, and taken Him for their Saviour, and trusted Him for all. Thus they found this gospel "the power [Gk., ’dynamite’; blowing them right side up] of God unto salvation", Romans 1:16 - a saving message. Straight away they conceived this "Gospel" as a Serving Ministry - they could not now deny it to the world that needed it so much, even as they themselves had previously done. How intrigued they would have been with the story of the four lepers in 2 Kings 7:3, who, regaling themselves with the surprising blessing of "bread enough and to spare", Luke 15:17, suddenly realised their responsibility to break the news to other starving souls, "We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings [a gospel day], and we hold our peace". So was it with these Philippian converts. To quote Dr. Plummer, "Every convert had become a missionary"; right from the start, "from the first day" (Php 1:5), and their enthusiasm showed no sign of waning, "until now", they had demonstrated that their fellowship with Paul, their gospel-bringer, was that each of them should be a gospel-bearer to others. The apostle himself had lost no time in enlisting for this glorious adventure; for immediately following upon his conversion, Acts 9:20, records of him that "straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues". Does all this condemn us - that we have been so shy, so scared, so slow to speak the word for Him? These first European believers soon discovered, however, that this happy fellowship in the gospel involved a Suffering Membership - they would not have the easy, comfortable time that most of us have. They were: "partakers of my grace" (Php 1:7), and it was as well for they were henceforth committed to a life spent in the "defence" negatively, or in the confirmation", positively, of the gospel - all which, in the conditions and circumstances in which they found themselves, might so easily lead to "bonds." Paul’s own proclamation of the gospel in their city had brought him to that fearful, fetid "inner prison", Acts 16:24, after the cruel suffering of scourging. Yet, how well worth while the apostle would have declared it to be, seeing what mighty results followed. Indeed, one of the contributing factors to those results was the joy of the two good companions who mingled their prayers with their praises, thanking GOD that they were counted worthy to suffer for His Name. They were like the Psalmist who, though speaking of "my sore... in the night", speaks also of "my song in the night", Psalms 77:2; Psalms 77:6. Ah, it was the Master Himself "Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame", Hebrews 12:2. And we, as co-inheritors with Him, as Romans 8:17 explains, "if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." We shall look further into this part of the "fellowship" when we come to study Php 3:10 of this Epistle. Meanwhile we turn now to consider this blessed partnership as -: A FELLOWSHIP IRRADIATED BY HOPE It is a noteworthy thing that Christianity is the only religion that has this quality of hope. - It is not found with the Buddhist, whose keynote is pessimism, and whose longing is to fade away into the forgetfulness of nirvana. - It is not found with the Mohammedan, whose characteristic is fatalism. In striking contrast, the Christian faith is shot through with this thread of unconquerable and radiant hope. It is an assured hope - "being confident of this very thing" (Php 1:6): the confidence resting on what "He" is to do, not on what we are to do - He, not we, is ever the main emphasis of the New Testament. Be it remembered that, in the New Testament, hope is not something that we have not got, but hope we may get; it is something that we have not got yet, but know we shall get eventually. Such a confidence is begotten in the apostle’s mind concerning the fulfilment of GOD’s purpose in the heart and life of the believer. The reader is taken back to the beginning of things - "He . . . hath begun a good work in you". Our conversion day, our moment of regeneration, was the start. When Lydia heard this Epistle read in the church, how her mind would travel to her riverside experience three or four years before. When the gaoler, sitting that day in the same congregation, listened to the words, how his heart leapt at the recollection of the never-to-be-forgotten episode - the years between had not dimmed the glory of that night light. When was your beginning - His beginning in you? Well now, that start is the guarantee of the finish - "He . . . will perform it." You may be very slow, very refractory, very difficult, but in spite of all that we may be quite "confident" that He never drops anything half done. He leaves no "unfinished symphony." The commencement is the surety of the continuation until the completion. He who lays the foundation stone may be relied upon to lay the coping stone. What a glorious hope it is - resting not on ourselves, nor on anything that we do, but entirely on Him. It is an advent hope - "until the day of Jesus Christ." I find it so interesting that so often, when Christian hope is mentioned, it is linked up with what Titus 2:13 calls "the blessed (happy] hope"; and 1 John 3:3 says "every man that hath this hope in him [Gk., set upon Him] purifieth himself" - again, it is the Advent Hope. Commenting on this phrase in our passage, Lightfoot says, "the expression implies something more than a temporal limit. The idea of a testing is prominent . . . prepared to meet the day of trial". Such a test does await every Christian, after being called up to meet Him, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, when "every man’s work [that is, every Christian man’s work] shall be made manifest . . . of what sort [not what size] it is", 1 Corinthians 3:13. That is, of course, not a judgment of sin, as in Revelation 20:11-15, but an assessment of works. Since our conversion, when the work began, how have we been getting on? Have we been improving in holiness, increasing in service? How about our spiritual temperature - has it run down to cold, is it just now at the unpalatable degree of tepid, Revelation 3:16, or does it keep up to boiling-point? Opportunities have opened out before us: have we seen them, and seized them? "Occupy till I come", Luke 19:13, said the departing Master to us; how have we done, will the returning Master enquire. Well - if, by the twin rules of Trust and Obey, we are allowing Him to control us and our lives, the assessment will be "thou good servant." Of His sovereign grace, He began it - by our yieldedness, Romans 6:13, He has been able to continue it - and, by His love and power, He will assuredly finish it, and "present you faultless", Jude 1:24, at "the day of Jesus Christ." One last thing about the good companions, it is- A FELLOWSHIP KNIT BY PRAYER As we tread the gospel road together, we take hold of their arm in affection; and we take hold of GOD for them in supplication. Both these relationships - the affection and the supplication - were so natural to Paul: again and again they are seen in his fellowship especially with his beloved converts. With some of them, his prayer is weighted with burden - their need is so great, their progress is so disappointing. With these Philippians it is all so different. His prayer for them arises in sheer "joy" (Php 1:4). They are journeying to Heaven along the Joy Way: and even their friends’ prayers breathe the happy atmosphere. Every time he thinks of them (Php 1:3), he thanks GOD for the way they have turned to Him, for the way they are growing in grace, and. no doubt, for the way in which they have always been so ready to minister to his physical necessities. So, in this delightful fashion, thanksgiving and joy are blended with his intercession. Just what he asks for them we shall see in our next chapter, for the verses Php 1:9-11 set it out before us. And remember that, as Emerson said, "Your solicitude may do much for those you love, but your prayers will do more. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 68: 04.03. WHAT A HAPPY PRAYER! - PHP_1:9-11 ======================================================================== What A Happy Prayer! - Php 1:9-11 Chapter Three "THIS I pray" - the character and content of Paul’s prayers form a great stimulus and education in the blest employ. See here -: A PRAYER FOR THE HEART "That your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment" (Php 1:9). Love is the first of all Christian characteristics, and so the apostle makes that the first of his desires for them - even as he opens with it the catalogue of Christian virtues, "the fruit of the Spirit is love . . .", Galatians 5:22 - as though to imply that if that is right, all else will probably fall into its due place. The word translated "abound" signifies "overflow" - a like conception to that of Malachi 3:10, " prove Me now herewith said the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it": all you can do is to overflow it. Or, as the Master said, in John 7:38 "He that believeth on Me . . . out of [him] shall flow rivers of living water" - verse John 7:37 was the inflow; John 4:14 was the upflow; this verse John 7:38 is the overflow. What a grand thought it is that any one of us Christians - yes, any one of us - can overflow with love: an overflowing "with all" love towards GOD, and a selfless love toward our fellows, Matthew 22:37-39. Of course, this same writer knew the secret of this so desirable quality, that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us", Romans 5:5. It is surprising how such love begets "knowledge" - and that, here, not simply a superficial knowledge, for, in the Greek, an intensive preposition is conjoined with the usual verb, to give it the force of a deep knowledge. Real love for a person brings us rare insight and understanding of them: we see it even in the highest realm - "Everyone that loveth . . . knoweth God" 1 John 4:7. The converse is also true: that if love produces knowledge, knowledge safeguards love. Dr. Plummer has said that "love may go grievously astray - misty thought, emotional conduct, and indiscriminate good nature are perilous". If this is the point of this passage, which I beg leave to doubt, then this "knowledge" and this "judgment" would be as the banks of love’s river, keeping the rushing water within bounds. In this sense, a deepening knowledge of others through experience, a heightening knowledge of GOD through communion, a widening knowledge of truth through the Word, are so greatly to be desired, and to be prayed for. Many of the commentators approve of this latter interpretation of the passage; but others offer the former explanation for the reader’s consideration, which, with great temerity, I venture to endorse. Of this, however, we shall have no quarrel, that both deep knowledge, and overflowing love, are of exceeding worth, and that each, whatever be the meaning here, has a contribution to make toward the perfection of the other - for this twofold blessing let us all pray: whether for ourselves, or for others, as Paul did for his Philippians. A further qualification of this all-out love is this quality of "all judgment". Discernment, or insight, is the meaning of this word - a quick, sensitive perception such as would prevent love from doing, saying, thinking the wrong thing. You remember that promise concerning Messiah, in Isaiah 11:3, that the "Spirit of the Lord . . . shall make him of quick understanding", where the A.V. margin renders it, "of quick scent." A spiritual sense of smell is of great importance is both beneficial to love, and bestowed by love. Barnabas possessed it to an unusual degree. If I may put it thus crudely, he had a nose for the fragrance of the good - recall how he detected that in Saul of Tarsus, when everybody else was afraid of him, Acts 9:26-27; and how he detected it at Antioch, Acts 11:22-23; and how he detected it in John Mark, in spite of that young man’s desertion, Acts 15:37-39. Happy they who have a quick scent for the fragrance of grace: there are many still of the Barnabas ilk! There are others who have a nose for the effluvium of the evil, who can detect fake doctrines, false notions, and what not. They can exercise a very useful office in the church - as Paul himself did, when he smelt heresy even in Peter, Galatians 2:11-13 : which, incidentally, Barnabas failed to detect (verse Galatians 2:13). But that great man had not much of a nose for bad smells, but for good! Of course, I have Scriptural authority for speaking thus of a spiritual nose. In I Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of those who are, as it were, spiritual feet, spiritual hands, spiritual ears, spiritual eyes; and though he shrinks from naming some as nasal men, he does imply their existence in his phrase, "If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" (verse 1 Corinthians 12:17). Let it be freely acknowledged that, in the course of the centuries, the Church has had reason to be grateful for her spiritual noses - men like Athanasius and Luther. But, listen - Paul’s prayer proceeds to choose accordingly. That, for Paul’s Philippians, and for us, is the happy way of life. The prayer goes on - A PRAYER FOR THE MIND "That ye may approve things that are excellent" (Php 1:10). According to Lightfoot (and what greater, more painstaking, and more exact scholar shall we follow?), commenting on the margin, "things that differ", it is not "things which are opposed", for it requires no keen moral sense to discriminate between these, but "things that transcend" - we may add, not between what is good, and what is bad; but between what is good, and what is better. The word "approve" here means "discriminate" - to test, and set the seal of approval on the one thing rather than on the other. It is akin to the quality of "judgment", or "discernment" that we discussed in the previous verse. This is, as we saw, indeed a gift of the SPIRIT, and must needs be prayed for. Shall I serve GOD, or not? The answer needs no wisdom: it is plain to every Christian. Shall I serve GOD at home, or overseas? The answer to this may, for various reasons, be hard to see - the believer can serve GOD anywhere; but he can serve Him to the best only in one place, the place of GOD’s own choosing. How important, therefore, to be able to discriminate. As we get to know Him better, to know His Word more - we shall increasingly possess this gift of discrimination - recognising, of course, the distinction between good and not good; but also between good and better. How precious is that word in 1 Corinthians 2:16, "We have the mind of Christ." Coming down to the practicalities of ordinary everyday life this touches upon our choice of friends, of books, of amusements, of employments, of ambitions. Of course, the highest office of this gift of discrimination is to guide us about what would best please and honour GOD - and what - would displease - and grieve Him. A gang of boys were bent on doing something wrong, and when one of them demurred, the others twitted him, "Ah, you’re afraid that if your father knew he’d hurt you!" But said he, "No, I am only afraid that if he found out I should hurt him." Such is "the fear of the Lord . . . the beginning of wisdom". Proverbs 9:10. That is how it is to be with the children of GOD: to distinguish between what would hurt, and what would please, the Heavenly Father, and - A PRAYER FOR THE CHARACTER "That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ" (Php 1:10). Here is one’s character, as it were, in three dimensions. (a) As concerns ourselves - "sincere". Apparently adopting the suggestion of some scholars that the word translated "sincere" derives from a word meaning "sunlight", the late Dr. Meyer has this interesting illustration, "Just as the X-rays passing through the limb will at once show the fracture, or the result of some accident, so the X-rays of GOD’S truth are always searching the heart . . . and the man who lives in love does not mind meeting the searching rays of GOD’s truth, which show that he is no hypocrite". The idea is, that in His sight we are to be adjudged true, pure, unsullied, whole. In the Authorised Version of 1 Peter 2:2 you have "the sincere milk of the Word" - there the thought means "unadulterated". The idea is, again, the same: true, pure, unmixed with incompatible ingredients. The Child of GOD, as the Word of GOD, is to be entirely wholesome, and wholly devoid of any mixture of inconsistency. Which of us stands the test? Not by the standard of our own opinion of ourselves - not by the standard of what others think of us - but by the infallible eye of GOD. Do you remember Dr. James Stalker’s sermon on "The Four Men" - (1) The Man the World sees; (2) The Man our Friends see; (3) The Man we Ourselves see; (4) The Man GOD sees. The same man; but only the last is the Real Man. "O wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel’s as others see us" sings the Scottish bard; but how much more salutary that we should see what GOD thinks of us - and then, humbly and prayerfully, to seek to be utterly sincere, through and through. A further facet of character is, as I think, in the apostle’s prayer for these his children in the faith. 1 Timothy 1:2 - (b) As concerns others - "without offence". I hold that the word can with equal accuracy be said to be either intransitive, as in Acts 24:16, "I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence . . ." or transitive, as in 1 Corinthians 10:32, "Give none offence." Here in this context we must decide whether the "offence", or "stumbling", is stumbling ourselves, or causing others to stumble. Either meaning is legitimate; and perhaps we may escape the dilemma by ruling that both are referred to. Yet, I cannot help feeling that it is the latter that Paul has in mind in interceding for his friends. He would have them so walk that they shall leave no stumbling-block in the way of others; even as the writer of Hebrews 12:13 exhorts his readers. "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way". It is so easy for us to become unmindful of others and of our influence for good or ill upon them. Happy is the Christian, who neither by demeanour nor behaviour, gives anyone the reason, or the excuse, to think wrongly of the faith, or to act wrongly regarding the Master. That leads me to the third aspect of character - (c) As concerns our Saviour - "till the day of CHRIST". The American scholar, Professor Marvin Vincent, suggests that "till" has the idea of "with a view to." Have you heard of employees, in factories or offices, who work with an eye on the clock? Well, it is the Christian’s joy and wisdom to work with an eye on the Coming. Paul has the same conception in his letter to Titus 2:11-13. "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared . . . teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly [concerning ourselves], righteously [concerning others], and godly [concerning our GOD] in this present world; looking for that blessed hope . . ." That’s it! "We should live . . . looking." Here is a little girl whose Daddy is returning home after a long term of military service abroad. Mother has received the message that he is on his way - not sure quite when he is to arrive, but it might be almost any day now. The child can scarcely sleep for excitement. Anyhow, she is careful to be clean and spruce those days; she sees that her bedroom is left neat and tidy; she is ever so good in all her behaviour; she rushes home quick as soon as school is over - why all this? Only that she is living with an eye on the Coming! So does the keen Christian want to be ready for His arrival - "and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" 1 John 2:28. This happy looking will prove a great stimulus to his holy living. See now how this great intercession concludes with - A PRAYER FOR THE LIFE "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Php 1:11). The character will inevitably issue in conduct. That is why there are plums on those trees in my garden: that is their character coming out in conduct - they are plum trees. That is why those people behave in a Christian manner: it is their character emerging into the open - they are Christians. This last petition of Paul’s is exactly parallel to the word in Isaiah 61:3, "that they might be called trees of righteousness ["being filled with the fruits of righteousness"], the planting of the Lord ["which are by Jesus Christ]," here, that He might be glorified, here, "[unto the glory and praise of God]." The roots are all right; for, as the apostle reminded these Philippian believers at the outset (Php 1:1), they are "in Christ" - and if we may reverently put it so, a soul in such soil has every chance to flourish: to fail is somehow, somewhere, entirely his own fault. "My Well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill" says Isaiah 5:1 : why then should it produce only "wild grapes", sour grapes? The fruits, then, are "in", and also "by" JESUS CHRIST. He plants the tree, preserves the tree, prunes the tree, that it may bring forth "fruit . . . more fruit . . . much fruit", John 15:2; John 15:8. "Herein is My Father glorified", added the Master; "that He might be glorified", said the Isaiah 61 passage; "unto the glory and praise of God", as Paul says here. We cannot forbear quoting 2 Thessalonians 1:10, "When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe . . . in that day". Yes, perfectly so in that "day of Christ": why not, then, in measure, in these days that intervene? For it is not we, but He that is to do it; "the fruit of the Spirit . . .", as Galatians 5:22 reminds us. Ours but to trust and obey; His to employ His beautiful agencies of fruitfulness in the believer - the rain (Psalms 68:9). - the dew (Hosea 14:5). - the wind (John 3:8). - the sun (Malachi 4:2). Let us, then, never forget that there is no glory to us in all this. Paul, elsewhere, utterly repudiates any such suggestion: "They glorified God in me," Galatians 1:24. This, then, is the apostle’s prayer - in all its fulness and sweetness. We close by repeating our title for this study. What a happy prayer! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 69: 04.04. THE HAPPINESS OF A HUMBLE SPIRIT - PHP_1:12-26 ======================================================================== The Happiness of a Humble Spirit - Php 1:12-26 Chapter Four THE apostle’s name, Paul, Paulos, means "little"; and it seems, according to the first or second century book, Acts of Paul and Thecla, which has a description of him, that his name is physically apt. Small in bodily frame yet he was intellectually a giant­ - yet he was the most humble-minded of men. "The highest degree of the hardest grace", as Coventry Patmore calls humility. When he speaks of his life so dramatically changed, he takes no credit to himself - "By the grace of God I am what I am"; when he speaks of his life so dynamically charged, he accounts for it as - "not I, but the grace of GOD which was with me", 1 Corinthians 15:10. He sums it all up as "not I, but Christ . . . in me", Galatians 2:20. Indeed, he even goes so far as to describe himself as "chief" in sinnership, 1 Timothy 1:15. Of course, anybody could say all this in false humility: it is in unconscious ways, in undesigned coincidence, that the reality of it all becomes apparent. This is what is beautifully disclosed in the passage that we are now to consider. Here is a man of such obvious importance, and seemingly indispensable - yet he appears to regard himself as one who didn’t matter­ - SO LONG AS THE GOSPEL WAS FURTHERED One of this man’s passions was "the gospel" (Php 1:12). In ringing tones he declares, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of CHRIST", Romans 1:16; and he unfolds the reasons why he was not ashamed, in the use of those four "for’s" in verses Romans 1:16-18­: (1) "For" the People it serves: Roman, Jew, Greek, so universal in its range. (2) "For" the Power it shows: the dynamite (Gk.) of GOD: not to destruction, but to salvation, "turning right side up", not as Acts 17:6. (3) "For" the Problem it solves: the way in which GOD can righteously exercise His love in saving us. (4) "For" the Pardon it secures: instead of "the wrath of God" for all who turn and trust Him. All which the gospel does for believers; and such glorious effects endow Paul’s message with a quality for which he can never be ashamed. No wonder that, in 1 Corinthians 9:16, he says, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel". He is a glad man to have such a message to carry: if he were to fail to do that he would be not merely a sad man, but a bad man. He would be guilty of such an iniquity as nearly attached to those four lepers in 2 Kings 7:9, "We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings [a gospel day], and we hold our peace". But enough of this pessimistic side of the matter. Paul did proclaim that gospel; he rejoiced in it, gloried in it - whatever happened to him. This inveterate and intrepid missionary roamed hither and thither on his gospel crusade, and, Christian strategist that he was, he ever tried to get an entrance for the Saving Word in the populous, and significantly important, cities of his world - to adopt the late Harrington Lees’ nomenclature: - Corinth, the gospel in a heathen port; - Galatia, the gospel in the country districts; - Ephesus, the gospel in a heathen cathedral city; - Philippi, the gospel in a Roman colony; - Colossae, the gospel in an out-station; - Thessalonica, the gospel in an independent state. Ah, but Rome - if only he could take that gospel to Rome, the Imperial City, the then hub of the universe! So, in Acts 19:21 he says, "After I have been there [Jerusalem], I must also see Rome"; and in Acts 23:11, the LORD assures him, "Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome". Now he is actually there; but how differently from what he had supposed - he is a prisoner: "my bonds" (Php 1:13): yet, as ever, he is a preacher. Nothing will stop him telling out the good news. To a man of Paul’s restless, roving disposition, this incarcera­tion, however mild, must have been an irksome trial. His circumstances were all against him; but he had long formed the habit of turning opposition into opportunity - and now he is at it again. The indignity, the suffering, the restriction, and the rest: of what consequence were they, if only they could be over­ruled, and made the occasion of furthering the gospel - that, and not he, was what mattered (Php 1:12). How fared the situation, then, in that Roman house of detention? (i) "The palace"­ - the word will include the whole soldiery of Caesar forming the praetorian guard. Paul would all the time be chained at the wrist to one of these military men, who would be relieved in constant succession, and who would go out on the conclusion of their term of guard duty to tell the tale of this remarkable prisoner who, rather than succumbing to his misfortunes, was happily spending his time preaching, and praying, and penning a deal of correspondence. Something of the picture is in Acts 28:30-31. Thus it happened that, as he says, "My bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace" (Php 1:13), that is, as Lightfoot paraphrases, "have been seen in their relation to CHRIST, have borne testimony to the gospel". The spread of this influence would be rapid and wide and effective. so that at the end of this very Epistle (Php 4:22) Paul is able to speak of "the saints... that are of Caesar’s household" - an expression that might include the highest functionaries and the lowest menials. Truly, "the things which happened unto [him] have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Php 1:12) - he would never have got into this close circle with his message, if he had not been a prisoner! As the late T. W. Drury said, "The very chain which Roman discipline riveted on the prisoner’s arm secured to his side a hearer who would tell the story of patient suffering for CHRIST among those who, the next day, might be in attendance on Nero himself." A further blessing, as it seemed to Paul, accrued to his im­prisonment. (ii) "The brethren" - his fellow-Christians in the city caught the infection of his courage. At least "many" of them did (Php 1:14). Some, as is always the case in any company of Christians, were too fearful to come right out for GOD; but many here were so deeply stirred by the example and exhortation of this great soul that they waxed confident in spirit and bold in speech. If courage breeds cowardice in some, be assured that it begets confidence in many. Here, too, then, was another influence for GOD directly attributable to "my bonds". But Paul was suffering from all the inhibitions of his confined condition. Well, what of it? In modern jargon he "couldn’t care less". What did he matter, so long as the gospel had "free course"? 2 Thessalonians 3:1. Let us, at least, take this lesson to heart, ere we pass on: that wherever we find ourselves, and whatever our circumstances, there is opportunity for service; that however we may be hindered and hampered by our conditions, there is some opening for testi­mony - and that all the more effectual as it is to be seen that we refuse to undergo our trials, but resolve to overcome them. How Paul would have hated our all-too-frequent use of the phrase, "under the circumstances"! He never allowed them to get on top of him - in the circumstances, of course; but not "under" them. Let us now proceed further, and note his readiness to subdue and subjugate self. SO LONG AS THE SAVIOUR WAS GLORIFIED "Christ is preached" (Php 1:18) - that is the main thing. If it was not always just as Paul liked, if sometimes the phraseology, or even the doctrine, was a bit unorthodox, if, with some, the motive was not pure, still he rejoiced that anyhow the Name was proclaimed. The Judaisers, who were always trying to hamper Paul’s ministry, were, alas, moved by feelings of "envy and strife . . . not sincerely" (Php 1:15-16). In Galatians (Galatians 1:6-9) the alternative is the liberty of the gospel, or the bondage of ritualism (Lightfoot’s word) - and Paul comes down with all his weight against the latter. In Philippians, here, the choice is an imperfect Christianity, and an unconverted state - and Paul "will rejoice" in the former, in spite of what it lacks of the full Christian truth and the true Christian spirit. On the other hand, there are those who would show their goodwill to the captive preacher (Php 1:15)­ who, while the others would add gall to his bonds, would bring gladness to his heart. These latter recognise that he is "set for the defence of the gospel" (Php 1:17) - posted as a sentry, is the Moffatt Commentary’s interpretation of "set". He is not caring over much for his own defence; but he does care intensely that the gospel shall suffer no inroads of false interpretation. If he had not stood for the proclamation of the pure gospel, he would never have been in bonds: seeing he is thus, he will not relax his watchfulness. He is glad that CHRIST is preached any way; but his great concern is that He shall be preached in all His sole and unique grandeur. What a faithful sentry this "good soldier of Jesus Christ", 2 Timothy 2:3, had always been, challenging every movement, and every man, "Who goes there - friend or foe?" "Christ shall be magnified" (Php 1:20) - is Paul’s ambition: not himself, but his Saviour. How his heart would glow if he heard John the Baptist’s declaration, "He must increase, but I must decrease", John 3:30. Says R. C. Joynt, "Mary’s magnificat was "My soul doth magnify the Lord"; Paul’s, "Christ shall be magnified in my body" - even as he exhorts those very believers in Rome, from where he writes, "I beseech you, there­fore, brethren . . . that ye present your bodies . . .", Romans 12:1 : CHRIST: - magnified in the body - magnified by lips that bear happy testimony to Him; - magnified by hands employed in His happy service; - magnified by feet only too happy to go on His errands; - magnified by knees happily bent in prayer for His Kingdom; - magnified by shoulders happy to bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of CHRIST. So, whether in life, or in death, this body is to be so employed in His service, whether bound or free, that we shall not be ashamed to meet His gaze, nor afraid to be bold in His cause (Php 1:20). There are two kinds of magnification: (i) That of the Micro­scope - that makes the little seem big. With this the Christian has nothing to do, for, there is nothing little about his Lord­ - though, alas, He may have but little place in a Christian’s life; and "no room" at all with the worldling. (ii) That of the Telescope - that makes the really big loom big. The vessel may appear as a dot on the horizon; but this instrument brings it out in its true proportions. Or, if you like, it brings the distant near. That is the Christian’s joy: his body and being becoming a telescope, showing to others His true greatness, and bringing to those who see Him but far off the sense of His real nearness. When the Psalmist moves the proposition, "O magnify the Lord with me", Psalms 34:3, and when Paul seconds the resolution, "Christ shall be magnified" - it is this latter ministry that is in mind. Shall we carry it out unanimously? Thus, once again, we observe that Paul is thinking, wishing, nothing for himself­. SO LONG AS THE OTHERS ARE HELPED There is a choice before his mind - "to live . . . to die" (Php 1:21). If he is to consult his own interest - he has no hesitation in coming to a decision: "to die is gain". What is it to die? Paul tells us it is (a) "to depart" - a metaphorical word, suggestive of a nautical figure, a loosing of moorings preparatory to setting sail; or of a military figure, a striking of camp ready to start on the march. He would for himself so gladly do that straightaway. In 2 Timothy 4:6, when his earthly end really had come, he says, using the same word and metaphor, "the time of my departure is at hand". The storm-tossed mariner sailing away on the last ocean voyage, to the haven where he would be; the battle-scarred warrior marching away off the field of war, for his Sovereign’s Review - that is the apostle’s idea of death, on the one side of it, the negative side. (b) "to be with Christ" - that is the positive side: and, by the very words employed, how filled with blest anticipation. Of course, there is a certain, and real sense in which believers are "with Christ" now; indeed, "He that is not with Me is against Me", Matthew 12:30. Yet there is a relationship to Him somehow more intimate awaiting us yonder. I wonder if an illustration might success­fully convey the difference? You get to know a certain person, and become friendly. After a bit he invites you to go and stay with him. You greatly enjoy your visit; but, of course, you return to your own house. However, the ties of friendship are fostered and strengthened, and you become very close to each other, so that one day your friend invites you to go and live with him. Right gladly you leave your own house, so much poorer than his, and on the appointed day you move into his, to share with him the richness, the beauty, the joy of that new lovely home. Does that properly illustrate the difference between the two aspects of this "with Christ"? Our earthly experience a Staying with Him, our heavenly experience a Living with Him. You will naturally recall His own allusion in John 14:2, "In My Father’s house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you." How immeasurably "far better" the apostle knows that to be (Php 1:23). "O think to step on shore, And that shore Heaven; To take hold of a hand, And that GOD’S hand! To breathe a new air! And find it celestial air! To feel invigorated, And to know it Immortality! O think! to pass from the storm and the tempest, To one unbroken calm; To wake up, And find it glory!" Yet there is another side. If he is to consult his converts’ interest - he doubtless must abide awhile with them - "to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Php 1:24). To continue in life would add still more fruit for his labour (Php 1:22) - yes, but that is not what will decide this matter for him: which is the more profitable for them? That is the point with this wholly selfless man. If he stay, he would hope to help with the enlargement ("further­ance") of their faith - he is no believer in a merely static religion, he would have them to be always growing in grace and knowledge, 2 Peter 3:18. His staying would also contribute to the enjoyment ("joy") of their faith - he is so constantly dwelling upon the joy of religion, and especially is he stressing that in this particular Epistle which, written in captivity, might have been supposed to be always striking a note of gloom. He trusts that his visiting them again, as he hopes to do, will cause their "rejoicing" to become "more abundant" (Php 1:26). So his mind is made up: he will gladly sink his own personal preference, and, for their sakes, he will be content to "continue" with, and for, them. The true humility of this man, so unmindful of self-advantage, makes him a man of rich happiness - which the self-centred, self-seeking man can never be. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 70: 04.05. HAPPY WARRIORS - PHP_1:27-30; PHP_2:1-4 ======================================================================== Happy Warriors - Php 1:27-30; Php 2:1-4 Chapter Five "STAND FAST" - "striving together" - "your adversaries" -­ "the same conflict." You see, there’s a war on. Consider­: THE THING WE FIGHT FOR "Striving . . . for the faith of the gospel" (Php 1:27). When writing to the Thessalonian believers (1 Thessalonians 2:4), Paul says "We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel." Speak­ing under this military metaphor, it is as if the gospel standard were placed in the hands of the Christian army, to be planted in other lands, and in other lives. That is one of the mighty privileges "allowed" to us believers - privileges, yes, and responsibilities, too. This is what the soldiers’ would call a strategic front - especially with Paul himself always seeking to carry the fight to the points of influential life, and busy traffic, such as this Philippi, and that Thessalonica. It is also a strategic operation when you and I seek to capture one soul by the gospel of JESUS CHRIST, for who, but GOD Himself, can tell what that one may be, or do. Truly, Christian history justifies us in applying to this case the words of Isaiah 60:22, "A little one shall become a thousand." Besiege that one, strive for that one - that the gospel flag may be thus far advanced among the kingdom of men. No one who has ever engaged in this godly burden will deny that it is a strenuous front - this work of soul-winning is no easy matter, for the enemy will concentrate all his forces to prevent, if he can, our taking the city. All that is implied in that word "striving" will be required from us; all that lies behind the exhortation to "stand fast" - to stand your ground, in face of the foe’s counter-attacks - may be called for. Such battles are not normally won simply by the happy little handing of a tract, and the putting up of a simple little prayer - though GOD forbid that I should belittle the immense possibilities of a tract and a prayer. It is only the careless, and almost flippant, manner in which this is sometimes done that I am warning myself and you about. Do you remember that verse of Horatius Bonar’s "Go, labour on while it is day: The world’s dark night is hastening on; Speed, speed thy work; cast sloth away; It is not thus that souls are won." All the modern hymn-books have that last line thus: but in an earlier day we used to sing it differently, and as I feel sure was Dr. Bonar’s original wording­ "With strong great wrestlings souls are won." How GOD had to wrestle for Jacob’s soul - "there wrestled a Man with him", Genesis 32:24. It was there, at long last, at Jabbok, not at Bethel, in Genesis 28:1-22, that the patriarch was, as we should say, converted. Ay, this planting of the Flag is not for slothful Christians, but for those who are prepared for strenuous wrestling. One further thing we will note as, through the telescope of this passage, we survey the scene of the spiritual combat: that it is a single front - "in one spirit", he says, and "with one mind"; it is a "striving together"; and they share "the same conflict." One is at one end of the line, Paul at Rome; others at the other end, those at Philippi - but it is the same line. Zephaniah 3:9 has a beautiful idea in the margin, "to serve Him with one shoulder." Have you ever seen a military march­ past? Not a shoulder out of place: for all the world as if it were but one shoulder. What a picture of a united front! There may be different regiments - call them, if you will, Anglicans, Congregationalists, Baptists, Brethren, Methodists, Presbyteri­ans, and so on; but it is the same army, facing the same enemy, in the same Cause, under the same Commander, the "Captain of the host of the LORD", Joshua 5:14, "the Captain of their salvation", Hebrews 2:10, a "Commander to the people", Isaiah 55:4. - Uniformity - means wearing the same uniform, which I don’t know that we want; - Unity - means fighting the one cause, for which CHRIST Himself prayed, "that they all may be one . . . that the world may believe", John 17:21. Let us, then, forswear fighting each other, and see that we are found "striving together for the faith of the gospel." For, ponder - THE ENEMY WE FIGHT AGAINST­ "Your adversaries" (Php 1:28). Ah yes, whenever we are seeking to advance the Flag of the Faith there will be foes who, whether consciously or unconsciously, are under the direction of the chief enemy of souls - "your adversaries" are the tools and instru­ments of "your adversary", 1 Peter 5:8. All along the line Paul had had painful experience of adversaries - even in this very Philippi, to which he was writing, as Acts 16:22-24 tells us. And, inasmuch as he always practised what he preached, he is able authoritatively to exhort these believers to be "in nothing terrified" by the opposition. The word is "scared" - the idea is of a horse shying from sudden fright. So, says the apostle, and he knew what he was talking about, don’t shy at anything that the enemy shall do, or threaten - but seek grace from GOD to "stand fast" to your purpose (Php 1:27). To "suffer" for CHRIST Paul counts as high privilege (Php 1:29) - indeed, martyrdom was eagerly sought by many believers in those perilous days of the early Church: it is honour "to believe", it is honour "to suffer." Like Wordsworth’s Happy Warrior, who "Turns his necessity to glorious gain". Note what is the effect of such steadfastness upon the enemy - "which is to them an evident token of perdition" (Php 1:28). Such stout resistance in the face of all that their opposition and persecution can do fills them with apprehension. There begins to dawn on them the realisation that the game is up! "Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour", 1 Peter 5:8; but by faith we may receive the lion-heart of Him who is "the Lion of the tribe of Juda", Revelation 5:5. This your fearlessness when menaced by persecution will make it quite evident to the foe that victory lies with you: "and that of GOD." It is not we, but He that overcomes. You may say that the blushing boy David conquers the massive, booming Goliath - but, in reality, it is GOD that does it, as that brave "youth", 1 Samuel 17:33, was well aware - "this day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand" (verse 1 Samuel 17:46). Well, how depressing to the enemy is the endurance of the saints. It is time we turned our attention to­: THE SOLDIERS WE FIGHT WITH We do not fight alone; as we saw just now, it is a united front - we are members of an army, combating for a common objective. What, then, is to be our relation to our fellows alongside of whom we battle? What a difference it makes if the fifteen, or eleven, of a football side, or if the members of a cricket team, or if the masters of a school staff, or if the crew of a racing-eight, or if the people of a local church (hence Php 4:2), or if the men of the army company, are completely friendly toward each other - they will work, or strive, or serve, or fight, so much the more happily and successfully. What, then, of the personal relations between the soldiers of the Cross? Dropping all metaphor, verses Php 2:3-4 of Php 2:1-30, have much of importance to say to us. (i) There is to be no internal strife - "of one accord, of one mind" (Php 2:2); "let nothing be done through strife or vainglory". Quarrelsomeness can do such a lot of damage, and bring such discredit upon the Cause; yet one does find Christians at loggerheads - and often over such stupid, trifling matters: all too frequently it is concerned with personal grievances and self-glorification. (ii) There is to be no fancied superiority - "in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves". The Greek word here translated "lowliness of mind" was, according to Lightfoot, always used in a bad sense, meaning abject, groveling; but, as the result of the life of CHRIST, this quality of humility is, in the New Testament, raised to its proper level. There is such a thing as mock-humility, of the Uriah Heep type - true lowliness is so different from this. Let us not forget that there is also a true and proper pride - a sense of the honour of being in such an Army. Listen to Paul in Acts 27:23, "God, whose I am, and whom I serve": with what ringing tones the words are uttered, reflecting his feeling of privilege. It does not spring from any idea of his own worthi­ness, or achievement; but is the expression of his realisation of the wonder of his Commander. Concerning himself, and relating to others, his attitude is always to be humble-spirited. (iii) There is to be no self-seeking - "look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others". That word "look" is an unusual one. It means to regard fixedly, so as to aim at. See that man at the butts: how carefully his eye is on that bull, all his attention and concern is on it. So is it with some people that they are so exclusively occupied with their own interests that they are entirely oblivious of anyone else’s. To be for ever looking for, scheming for, his own self-advantage is the mark of a thoroughly bad soldier. See where it led that unfortunate soldier, Achan, in Joshua 7:19. When he saw the gold, the silver, and the garment he thought at once of his own enrichment, with not a thought of what it would entail for his family, and for his fellow-soldiers. Let the Christian warrior take warning. We pass on to think of­ - THE LEADERS WE FIGHT UNDER We have here a moving glimpse of the Human Leader. Paul had meant so much to that church at Philippi, since the day when he crossed over to the city from Troas; he had shown such con­stant care of them; he held them in special affection; they were joined with him in such an inspiring comradeship - "having the same conflict which ye saw in me [when he was beaten and imprisoned in their city], and now hear to be in me [imprisoned in Rome]", Php 1:30. I am sure that on his next visit he would have chosen, if it had then been extant, as his opening hymn, "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian Love." It is grand when we can rejoice over those who, under GOD, have been our human leaders. How the present writer thanks GOD for the vicar of his boyhood’s church, the late Archdeacon R. C. Joynt, and for two vicars under whom he served as curate, A. Cochrane, and Canon W. E. Daniels - and so many others, his "elders and betters" in the LORD. Ah yes, it is good to have leaders whom we can esteem and revere. But, says Paul, you must not depend too much on them - "whether I come and see you, or else be absent", you are to "stand fast": your feet founded not on him, but on Him. So we get here a clear view of the Divine Leader. "In one spirit" - the One SPIRIT. "For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body . . . and have been all made to drink into one Spirit", 1 Corinthians 12:13; "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father", Ephesians 2:18. Yes, He is our Leader, for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God", Romans 8:14. Does your watch keep good time? I have a hall-clock, which is a great friend of mine; it was presented to me when I left my first curacy, in 1918. Its only trouble is that it is, in its old age, a bad time­keeper. In my constant attempts to keep it right I am driven to seek a guide. Where shall I look for such leadership? Ah, my watch! No, alas; for while the clock always loses, my watch always gains. You will guess that it is my regular habit to regulate both by TIM - the telephone automatic recording of Greenwich Mean Time. Learn, then, to go for leadership, not to those who, even the best of them, may go wrong, and lead you astray, but to the fountain head - to the SPIRIT of GOD Himself - not human leadership, but Divine, whether in life’s wayfare, or life’s warfare. The story is told that in the French Wars our soldiers were very dispirited on the eve of a great battle, owing to the disparity in the number of the English troops. Gathered around a camp fire as night fell a few men were pessimistically discussing the situation; every now and then another, and another, joined the group, unrecognised in the darkness, but all seemed to agree on the hopelessness of the morrow’s fight: they were so heavily outnumbered - their own so few, the enemy’s so many. When out spoke a new voice in the discussion - a voice of one who had come unnoticed in the shadows of the fire-light - a voice so well-known to them all - a voice whose ringing tones called them instantly out of their despair - a voice that posed one strategic question: "And how many do you count me for?" It was the Iron Duke himself, the great Duke of Wellington, who led them that next morning, in spite of the French big majority, to a brilliant victory. How much, how many, do you count your Leader for? If you are even standing alone for Him in the fight - in your office, in your workshop, in your factory, in your school, in your company, in your home - remember the blessed truth that "One, with GOD, is always a majority". Even if there be but two of you, and that, surrounded by belligerent forces, 2 Kings 6:16 remains true, "Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them". Such, O ye Philippians, O ye my readers, is the Leader under whom this fight of faith is waged to victory. And now­: THE UNIFORM WE FIGHT IN Qualities of Christian character are, in the Epistles, so often likened to articles of clothing, and pieces of armour, that I make no apology for treating our closing meditation under that suggestive figure. Look, first, at Php 1:27, "Only let your conver­sation [behaviour] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ". It would be altogether unbecoming for you to fight your country’s battles in the enemy’s uniform; so should we, as Christians, be careful to "put off" the old clothes, or habits, of sin, and to "put on" the new garments of godliness, Ephesians 4:22-25. "As it becometh. . ." (a) the gospel of love, "See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently", 1 Peter 1:22; (b) the gospel of peace, "Follow peace with all", Hebrews 12:14; (c) the gospel of power, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body", Romans 6:12; (d) the gospel of Heaven, "Love not the world", 1 John 2:15; (e) the gospel of GOD, "Be ye therefore followers of GOD, as dear children", Ephesians 5:1 : Strange dress, do you think, for the military scene; yet this is the uniform in which CHRIST’S soldiers fight best, and which the foe fears most. Come to Php 2:1-2. Paul has here a fourfold argument for their rejoicing his heart by appearing in just such a uniform of Christly character as we have been examining. - "If there be therefore any consola­tion in Christ" - if your experience of Him is any encouragement to you; - "if any comfort of love" - if love exerts any persuasive power with you; - "if any fellowship of the Spirit" - if that fellowship with Him is a reality; - "if any bowels and mercies" - if you have affectionate yearnings of heart. On these grounds "fulfil ye my JOY." There he goes again: he can’t keep Joy out of it. In this brief Epistle he mentions this characteristic under various words, no less than nineteen times - almost five times for every chapter. "My scrip of joy, im­mortal diet" as Sir Walter Raleigh called it. Dr. Lightfoot has a beautiful paraphrase of this "fulfil ye my joy." He renders it, "you have given me joy hitherto. Now fill my cup of gladness to overflowing." So Paul sums up the uniform in the words, "having the same love." When he writes to urge the Colossian Christians to don the uniform, he finishes by saying, "Above all these things put on charity (love)", Colossians 3:14 - as if love were the overcoat, the cloak, covering, protecting, beautifying all else. What joy it will give this old warrior to watch these young soldiers marching forth to the Philippian battle-ground o’erclad with love. As the familiar hymn says­ "Let your drooping hearts be glad; March in Heavenly armour clad." That armour is so different from earth’s - its girdle is truth, its breastplate is righteousness, its sandals is peace, its shield is faith, its helmet is salvation, its sword is Scripture, its greaves is prayer, Ephesians 6:14-18. Just the kind of things we here have spoken of. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 71: 04.06. RUNGS OF GLADNESS - PHP_2:5-11 ======================================================================== Rungs of Gladness - Php 2:5-11 Chapter Six WHEN old Jacob saw his dream ladder, in Genesis 28:12, he found the angels of GOD ascending and descending on it - as if carrying up the news of his needs, and coming down with his supplies to meet them. Our LORD uses the story of the ladder as a picture of Himself, John 1:51 - through whom our requests mount up to GOD ("in My Name," John 15:16), and through whom His answers of supply reach us ("by Christ Jesus", Php 4:19). Those were Ladders of Communication - whereon our great need and His great fulness meet. Now, in our present passage. we have, as it were. another ladder, a Ladder of Consecration - whereby man’s greatest, deepest need is met eternally, because of the Princely mercy and Sovereign grace of GOD. For all the simplicity of most of its words, it is, in very truth, one of the most profound passages in the whole of Holy Writ. Let us think it over under this simile of the Glory Ladder, whereon He trod for our redemption - rungs of gladness. Indeed, for us; and for Him. "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of GOD", Hebrews 12:2 : back at the topmost rung again. THE WAY DOWN Six steps He took, until He reached the lowest depth. We begin at the top, where we see Him as (1) "Being in the form of God." His was the essential and eternal Being of Deity. He always had been, always would be, GOD: whatever were the conditions and circumstances of His Old Testament appearances (and they were many; generally under the guise of the Angel of the LORD), Deity always was His. - He was the Angel at the Bush, in Exodus 3:2 : hence the command to Moses to worship. - He was the Soldier with the Sword, in Joshua 5:13 : hence the instinctive action of Joshua to worship. Angel-Soldier, what not - ­but always GOD. And when He came down in the New Testament to His incarnation it was the same, He brought His Deity with Him. He never Himself used the title, though He accepted it from others - He called Himself here Son of Man, not Son of GOD: but that essential Deity did not, could not, ever leave Him. It is of fundamental importance that we remember this. Note that He "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" - He was not taking to Himself something that did not belong to Him when He lay claim to be thus "equal"; nor, as we shall see, did He think it to be something to be clung to, laid hold on, lest He lose it. No, it was of nature His by right. "Making Himself equal with God", John 5:18, was the Jews’ disgusted accusation against Him. So stands our Divine Lord at the top of the Ladder. Watch Him as He prepares to take His first step down - in itself a mighty descent. (2) "made Himself of no reputation". Can you imagine a royal personage, wishing to travel incognito, divesting himself of all apparel and appearance that would give him away. He would still be a king, but he would have emptied himself of his royal habitrament. Something thus happened here: He "emptied Himself". I am suggesting that He divested Himself, not of His Deity, but of His glory - stripping Himself of the insignia of His majesty. He never used that Deity for His own benefit, for He would live down here as truly Man - not pretending, nor masquerading, as man, but really so. For all that, flashes of Deity did sometimes emanate from His sacred Person - for instance, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and when, at the arrest in the Garden, the soldiers fell to the ground at His use of the Divine Name, "I am", John 18:6. Ah yes, He that thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD, thought it not forgery to use His signature. See Exodus 3:14. So His glory was laid aside, as Milton’s magnificent lines describe it­: "That glorious Form, that light insufferable He laid aside: and here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlasting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay." It is often said that when He became Man, He subjected Himself to the human liability to error, as the rest of us. I am bound to say that I find it impossible to associate mistakes with Deity. Limitations; yes, voluntarily assumed; but not errors. I con­ceive it, therefore, to be the case that whatever He said was always true. At the same time, we must, I think, hold that He suffered Himself to be limited. How else could there be any reality or normality, in His human childhood - what meaning could there be in the words of Luke 2:52, "and Jesus increased in wisdom . . ."? Yet, I suspect that, even at school, He never actually made mistakes. Do you recall that description of the Child’s session with the Temple doctors, "All that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers", Luke 2:47. So He steps down (3) He "took upon Him the form of a servant". A bond-slave! To whom? to GOD - "Behold, My servant", Isaiah 52:13; and, quoting from Psalms 40:7, "Lo, I come... to do Thy will, O God", Hebrews 10:7. At the moment when He divested Himself of the apparel of the Son, He donned the apron of the Servant - to GOD; and, as Plummer adds, "perhaps we may say to the whole race of mankind". Yet, it is interesting that, though we are "the servants [bond-slaves] of Jesus Christ" (as Romans 1:1, etc.), He is not said to be the bond-slave of us - ­in this latter relation, a less harsh, a kindlier Greek word is used. "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister", Mark 10:45; "I am among you as He that serveth", Luke 22:27. Still, in spite of this distinction of status, we do find Him, at least on one occasion, doing the duty of a bond-slave, when, in John 13:4, He "took a towel", to rinse His disciples’ feet. Coming in from the dust of the road, the guest at a meal would hold his feet over the earthenware basin, while a slave rinsed them from the water ewer. There was no such slave present, and the guests should, therefore, have done this service for one another; but as they refrained from this menial duty, our Lord Himself did it. And that at a moment when He was acutely aware of His high dignity, "Knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God". By the way; isn’t this episode a striking illustration in miniature of the use of those first two rungs of the Ladder we are talking of - (a) "He... laid aside His garments", as of royal splendour; (b) "He... took a towel, and girded Himself," as with the garb of lowly service. He goes down farther (4) He "was made in the likeness of men." If I remember rightly, the Authorised Version never (except in our verse Php 2:8) speaks of our LORD as "a man", but always as "Man", and correctly so - as also the doctrinal truth, "and was made Man" - for He was not merely an individual, but the Represen­tative of the Race, the whole of human-kind. He went to the Cross. not as a man merely, but as Man, as all men, "He died for all", 2 Corinthians 5:15 - So that all may, if they will, share in the redemptive benefit. So here, not the likeness of a man, but "of men". Thus, as we said earlier, He was not here on earth playing at being a man, but was as truly Man as He was truly GOD - a dual truth incomprehensible to our finite mind, but apprehensible to our grateful heart. How we thank GOD for all the Bible evidences of the reality of His manhood - that He was hungry, Matthew 4:2; that He was tempted, Matthew 4:3; that He was tired, Mark 4:38 - "for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted", Hebrews 2:18; indeed, as the previous verse says, "In all things it behoved Him to be like unto His brethren". When the great railway engineer, George Stephenson, died, his long funeral procession contained a body of plain workmen, who bore a banner inscribed with the words, "He was one of us" ­for he had risen from their ranks. Truly, He is one of us - for He came down to join our rank. What high level of humanity was it that this "Prince of Glory" came to occupy? Nay, no high level at all! (5) "He humbled Himself". Says our hymn, "The highest place that Heaven affords, is His, is His, by right" yet, on earth, it was a lowly station that He sought - an insignificant village, a humble cottage, a lowly mother, a poor trade. He was born to a borrowed cradle; He was laid in a borrowed tomb; and during His ministry "the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." It would seem as if this choice of the humble were a principle of selection in all the service of GOD. Recall that passage in 1 Corinthians 1:26 ff. - "Not many wise . . . not many mighty, not many noble, are called": He does not say "not any", but "not many." Rather has He chosen, "the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, the nonentities, the ’are nots’." "Chosen", mark you. It is not that He has to put up with these inconsiderables as the best He could get; but deliberately He so frequently prefers such, that people may be forced to recognise that the praise for the results must go, not to the human instruments, but to the hand that uses them. After a battle of long ago, when a soldier had wrought great devastation with his sword, his king sent for the sword. Upon inspection, His Majesty returned it with the somewhat scornful remark, "But it is a very ordinary sword." To which the soldier ventured to reply, "His Majesty should have sent for the arm that wielded it." Yes, that’s it; or, to put it differently, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us", 2 Corinthians 4:7. But all this is to stray from our immediate subject - the wonderful spirit of humility that He displayed in His lowly station, in His humble service, and in His denial of self. At the end they said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save", Matthew 27:42 - how false that latter part, for, by exercise of His Deity, He could at any moment have come down from that Cross­, "Was it the nails, O Saviour, that bound Thee to the Tree? Nay ’twas Thine everlasting love, Thy love for me, for me," How true that former part, "others", always others, as He "went about doing good", Acts 10:38, in the homes of sinners, and in the haunts of lepers. How moving is this self-humbling of the Holy One and the Mighty. Yet, mark another stage of His descent (6) He "became obedient unto death." What depth for Deity! Why could He not have been raptured to Heaven without dying, as Enoch was, and Elijah; and as living believers will be at His Parousia, 1 Thessalonians 4:17? The whole efficacy of redemption lies in His dying. That is a mysterious utterance which we find in Hebrews 5:8-9, "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." Anyhow, we may say that part of the meaning is that, by His suffering of death, He showed obedience up to the hilt! We are back in the majestic argument of Romans 5:19, "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Stay a moment! Think you that He is now at the very bottom of the Ladder of our Salvation? No; there is a rung yet. (7) "Even the death of the Cross." See that cross, in its glittering gold, at the very apex of London’s Paul’s Cathedral, shining in religious splendour over the City’s busy traffic: not such was it "on which the Prince of Glory died" - but one of rough­hewn wood, a criminal’s gibbet, stuck into a hole on Jerusalem’s common crucifixion ground. Three of them were there at the time - two of them for a couple of base malefactors, and the middle one intended for the leader of the nefarious gang, one, Barabbas; but now occupied by his Substitute and ours. To that place, to that death, to that depth, His journey from the skies has brought Him - "being nailed to a tree like vermin", as Plummer says. One thinks of the Psalm that was in His mind as He hung there, and, in reverent reticence, one wonders if He dwelt upon the words, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people", Psalms 22:6. GOD-man-worm. What a far distance down the scale of Being. Says American, Norman B. Harrison, "History has no parallel. How could He do it? Mute in contemplation, we can never cease to wonder." Truly, He has now touched bottom. As one stands there, at the place where one ought to be­: "Two wonders I confess, The wonder of His glorious love, And my own worthlessness." Ah, but GOD did not leave Him there; and now, with uttermost joy, we watch His journey to the skies. He grasps once more the Ladder, and we mark­: THE WAY UP Wonderful in glory, as the Way Down was wonderful in grace. Three great steps, and He is back where He properly belongs. (1) "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him". We have seen that He humbled Himself, but He did not exalt Himself. By reason of His Deity, He could have done; but by reason of His Saviourhood, He did not do so. For Justice’ sake, and, indeed, for man’s assurance’ sake, it was essential that GOD should give some sign and indication that the One Sacrifice of our Lord was "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world", as our doctrinal statement has it. The sign of the acceptance of the sacrifice was the resurrection, in which, in Paul’s frequent phrase, "God raised Him". By that mighty token, He is not only "declared to be the Son of God with power", as Romans 1:4 says, but also declared to be the Saviour of men with authority. - up from the Tomb - in wondrous resurrection; - up to the Skies - in glorious ascension; - up to the Throne - in illustrious session. That is what GOD thinks of the finished work of His Son. That word "highly" is the English equivalent of a Greek preposition, "huper", with which the apostle has compounded the verb. Plummer points out that Paul has a great fondness for this use. So this is a huper-exaltation - which, greatly daring, I have elsewhere ventured to render by the modern schoolboy slang, "Super"! Another step up is that (2) GOD hath "given Him a Name which is above every name". Here we touch upon a considerable difference of opinion, and I must leave my readers to make up their own minds, for there is little that is definite that I can place before them for their guidance. (a) Professor Plummer, a great Biblical expositor, seems to think that it is not an actual Name that is referred to, but that it denotes the rank, or dignity, that has been given Him. "GOD gave Him the dignity that is above every dignity", as the professor put it. By the way, it is "a Name", as if that which was specially reserved for this, in recognition, and in honour, of the great task so successfully accomplished. (b) Bishop Lightfoot, another supreme New Testament exegete, is of a different opinion. He feels sure that an actual Name is intended; and he points out that, in verse Php 2:10, it is not "the name JESUS", as if it were the Name, but "the name of Jesus", as if it were some other Name bestowed upon JESUS. (c) The more commonly held view is, of course, that this Name "JESUS" was, like the Body that bore it, raised and exalted; and that, because of Him, it will be ever held in highest honour. This last will, in any event, always be the case; but perhaps there was awaiting Him on His return a specially significant Name and Dignity not yet known to us. We do that sort of thing on our little sphere of earth - Sir Douglas Haig returns from a victorious campaign, and he is rewarded with a new Name and Dignity. He is to be Earl Haig. And Kitchener is to be Lord Kitchener; and Sir John French is to be Lord French. I don’t know - but these little human instances may be pale and distant illustrations of what awaited our Victorious Lord when He re-entered in triumph the Gates of Glory. Yet, be this as it may, nothing can dim for us the wonder of the sacred Name, "JESUS": personally, I always feel that I must write it in capital letters. "How sweet the Name of JESUS sounds In a believer’s ears." So wrote a drunken sailor, John Newton, who, before his con­version, had used the Name as a swear-word. What pages we could write on this theme; but it is time that we set out to follow in thought His final step up into Glory. (3) "Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". "At the Name of Jesus", as if every mention of it must be accompanied by a bow of the head - threefold obeisance is due, Heaven and earth and under uniting to acclaim His sovereignty. Then every tongue - the atheist’s tongue, the pagan’s tongue, the foreign tongue, your tongue and mine - ­shall avow His Lordship, and our allegiance. Universal acknow­ledgment hereafter: how good to practise by personal confession here one of the most thrilling moments in the Coronation Service of our Sovereigns is that of the People’s Homage, when the massed representatives of the Realm join to acclaim, "GOD save the King! GOD save the King! GOD save the King!" But a faint echo of the great heart-moving shout of "every tongue". So ends our exposition of this amazing passage - ­oh, that one could have done it better, more worthily. The reader may well be constrained to throw this poor Study on one side and to take the inspired record itself and, on his knees, pore over the sacred words themselves; and then, rising to his feet, join, with deepest adoration, in the Heavenly Tribute of Revelation 5:12, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Amen! - One brief prosaic word must be added, concerning­ THE WAY FOR US For that, after all, was how the passage began and why the passage was penned: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Php 2:5). The Selfless "mind" - which thinks nothing of itself, but only of others. The Sacrificial "mind" which is prepared to go to utmost lengths for those others’ welfare. The Serving "mind" - which is happily content to render any service that will help. The late Dr. G. H. Morrison records that he once received one of those typical postcards from Mr. W. E. Gladstone and that it was signed as from "Your obedient servant"! How that would have delighted Paul, if 2 Corinthians 4:5 is any criterion, "We preach . . . Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servant for Jesus’ sake" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 72: 04.07. NOW, AND HOW -- PHP_2:12-13 ======================================================================== Now, And How -- Php 2:12-13 Chapter Seven NOTICE that little word "now" in verse Php 2:12, and remind yourself that Christianity is a Religion of Now - "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation", 2 Corinthians 6:2. A faith which is concerned exclusively with a past salvation, being saved from our past sins, as it is put; a faith that is concerned exclusively with a future salvation, being saved from hell’s eternal penalty for our sin - both these fall short of the New Testament conception, which visualises a present salvation; which tells us that we ought to enjoy, and may enjoy, a "Now" Salvation, negatively being saved from the practice and habit of daily sinning, and positively being saved unto the practice and habit of daily holiness. These introductory thoughts will serve as a useful background to the study of this interesting and important passage, wherein Paul is pressing upon his beloved converts a kind and quality of happy Christian life for "now". He starts with A PRESENT EXAMPLE "Wherefore", says the apostle - and let us remember, in all our Bible study, how important it is to give due weight to the conjunctions of Scripture: so much instruction is to be gleaned from them - and here the word throws us back again to the previous passage and bids us, as did verse Php 2:5, take note of our Lord JESUS as our example. He "became obedient", even up to the extreme limit of His substitutionary death - "where­fore" we also are to be utterly obedient to GOD. Some of us have yet to grasp the strategic value of this quality of plain obedience. Trust and Obey - are the two feet on which the Christian successfully pursues his pilgrim way; they are the two hands with which he grasps the great gifts of GOD; they are the two eyes to which are revealed the ever-growing truth of GOD; they are the two ventricles of the heart by which is shown the deep love of the Christian for his Lord. "Trust and Obey - for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey"­ indeed, to be anything in JESUS. Not trust alone, not obedience alone; but the two in happy partnership. Or, as the practical James would say, Faith and Works. At this point we must recollect that when the inspired writer is urging these Philippians to take CHRIST for their example he is addressing Christians. To press upon non-Christians to follow Him thus is to mock them - such an endeavour is beyond them. They must experience Him first in another capacity. First, as Emancipator - as Saviour. As well tell the Hebrews to enter Canaan while they are still in Egypt as expect people to enter the Christian life when they are not yet Christians. To copy CHRIST (the secret of which we shall learn later in this very passage) is possible only to Christians. When Peter says that He has left us "an example that ye should follow His steps", 1 Peter 2:21, it is to be remembered that the "us", and the "ye", are believers; and only so can they be followers. Next, as Exemplar - now that the order is established, the Order can be insisted upon. It is a specific command, "Be ye therefore followers [imitators] of God, as dear children," Ephesians 5:1; and the Greek is the word from which our "mimics" is derived. What mimics the dear children are. Some people have quarreled with Thomas a Kempis’ title "The Imitation of CHRIST", as if that were something impossible; but there it is, as a command of Holy Writ, and therefore possible, now that we have got things in their true sequence. Then, as Enabler - it is not we, but He. How often we have heard it said that GOD’S commands are His enablings. If left to ourselves, it would be indeed a hopeless quest; but we are not left like that, He is ever present with us as our daily pattern, and our constant power: His "How" for our "Now". Some come to-­ A PRESENT DUTY "Ye have always obeyed . . . in my presence . . . now much more in my absence" - obeyed the precepts of GOD, of course, not of Paul - as CHRIST Himself, your Example, did (Php 2:8). Here we are, then, again at this primary Christian characteristic of obedience. And Paul felt able to bear glad acknowledgment of it! And now there of their upright spiritual behaviour all the time he was with them - their daily following of the Exemplar had been exemplary. Now, however, he is far away from them, in Rome, and he is deeply concerned that their Christian consistency shall in no way be dependent upon his presence. He has said the same thing in Php 1:27, "Only let your conversation [behaviour] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come . . . or else be absent, I may hear . . . that ye stand fast". Hear, too, the apostle John. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth", 3 John 1:4. This Paul is a great student of human nature, as is evidenced in a score of passages from his pen. He knows so well how often, for moral rectitude and spiritual fidelity, we lean on one other. The convert at a mission is gloriously keen, so long as the great effort lasts, but when the evangelist is withdrawn, he begins to lose his ardour, and the Church is sad to find that he no longer walks with them. A Christian schoolboy, who had badly back­slidden, said, by way of explanation to his friend, who had left - and I heard him say it - "I was all right while you were still here." Now, says the apostle in effect, you have been splendid in my company, "much more" let your conduct and character be true "in my absence". But why "much more"? Would it not have been sufficient if they had been told to continue "just the same"? I wonder if the answer is not to be found in the fact that instead of leaning on Paul, the human prop having been removed, they are now thrown exclusively upon the Lord Himself. Many a saint could testify that they blessed GOD for some loss or trouble, because it threw them back on Him, and they came to know Him more intimately than ever they had done, or could have done before. The furnace of affliction can be a rare place for meeting and knowing GOD, as three men once discovered when they met with "the Fourth", Daniel 3:25. How those three would have appreciated the testimony of the Psalmist (Psalms 119:71), "It is good for me that I have been afflicted"; and (verse Psalms 119:67), "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word". No wonder that, with all his experience of life, our great English poet said. "Sweet are the uses of adversity"! The particular seeming adversity that our passage is dealing with is the removal of a trusted friend upon whom we have relied for our spiritual welfare - how "much more" blessed will that "absence" be than that "presence", if the soul is brought to rest hard on the always-present Lord, Hebrews 13:5-6. So that our converts - and all of us - might be encouraged to place our entire confidence thus in Him alone. So shall the life of obedience be not only a duty, but a delight, emerges -­ A PRESENT RESPONSIBILITY "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Some of us are so enamoured of the sheer joy of the Christian life that we are in danger of forgetting that it is also a grave responsibility. It is not just a picnic! To become a Christian is to be invested forthwith with certain responsibilities - towards GOD, and towards others. It is this more serious side of our Christianity that we are now to study, as guided by this pregnant sentence of the apostle’s. A great Possession is conferred upon us - "your own salvation". (a) Of course, we must first recognise that it is His salvation before it is yours - "Shew forth His salvation from day to day," as Psalms 96:2 says. - He purposed it - of His sovereign grace, or we never would have been saved at all. - He planned it - from before the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:20; the wonderful plan was conceived in the Council Chamber of the Triune GOD. - He procured it - when the plan was put into operation at Calvary. - He proffered it - for man’s acceptance, if he will have it; for He will not force it upon us, but will leave the gift of free-will, with which He has endowed us, inviolate. - He pressed it - urging man by the continual influence of the HOLY SPIRIT, by every means short of force, to close with the gracious offer, yet having so often sadly to say, "How often would I . . . and ye would not," Matthew 23:37. Ah yes, from first to last it is His salvation. (b) But it became "your own" when, with the hand of faith, you took it from the pierced hand, and what was originally His became eternally yours. Well, have you? Or are you still without this wonderful possession? You could, even as you stop a moment in reading these words, grasp the gift - yea, grasp the Giver - now, this very minute. And how truly won­derful the possession is - which buries the past, changes the present, and ensures the future. May we who have it continually realize the wonder of this Love Gift. A great Programme is now set before us - "work out". It is sometimes held to be the teaching of this verse that we have to work our eternal salvation out for ourselves; but we can dismiss this at once: because Scripture never contradicts itself, and Ephesians 2:9 says, it is "not of works". We are not to work it into our lives, but to work it out by our lives. Here is a great mine. This mighty salvation, repository of light and warmth and energy, which is ours through the explosive dynamite (the Greek word translated "power" in Romans 1:16) of the Gospel has now to be worked out in our daily behaviour, for the blessing of our fellows and for the satisfaction of the Owner of the Mine. Thank GOD, the Christian life is a working concern: what joy, as well as responsibility, is to be found in the fact. A small boy has just gone to bed when his uncle arrives at the house, and going to his room, presents his young nephew with a lovely clockwork engine. Imagine Jack’s excitement as he eagerly hopes for the morning, when he can see how it works! Just so is it that we who have been presented with this gift­ - no toy - should be eager to display to others that it works. A bolder testimony, a sweeter temper, a gentler speech, a nicer manner, a keener service, a cleaner life, a kindlier behaviour, a wider helpfulness-these are some of the many ways of working it out. Reverting to our simile of the mine, I have come across this interesting sidelight. The ancient scholar Strabo (b. 64­ or 62 B.C.), a Roman, who wrote in Greek, has an account of the once­ famous silver mines in Spain, in which he refers to the "working out" of those mines, using the very same word as Paul uses here. Strabo meant, of course, as my informant proceeds, that the Romans were operating, exploiting, and getting the utmost value out of what was already securely in their possession. Such, it seems clear to me, is the apostle’s meaning of "work out" - I am to mine what is already mine, producing such precious nuggets of personal character as we have just enumerated. A great Peril is here hinted at - "with fear and trembling." A nervous anxiety to do the right thing, thinks Lightfoot. The phrase is quite common with Paul, for instance in 1 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:15, Ephesians 6:5, in all which passages the meaning seems to be as the learned Bishop suggests. It is not "fear and trembling" lest we might lose our salvation, but lest we might use it amiss. It is the dread and danger of becoming so remiss in the outworking that we might cause distress to the Master, and damage to His cause. The world knows instinctively what is to be expected from the professing Christian and reserves its scorn for his failure. Think not, my friend, that, in your self-confidence, you need have no anxiety on this score. A greater than you, the apostle Peter, felt the same confidence, "I . . . never!" Yet, how grievously he sinned. One can only say to oneself, and to others, ere we leave this subject, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Oh, it is not necessary thus to falter, fail, and fall. The phrase is only intended as a warning, and as a counsel that even the most advanced Christian needs to maintain an attitude of continual watchfulness, Those who climb highest could fall farthest, if they slipped. "Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not," Psalms 17:5. "Unto Him that is able to keep you from falling," guard you from stumbling, Jude 1:24. So we come, with joyous gladness, to­ A PRESENT POSSIBILITY "For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" - First, let us look at I. "His good pleasure." Remember now that when GOD had created man and his world it is recorded that "GOD saw every­thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good", Genesis 1:31 - very pleasing in His eyes. The glorious thing is that individual men can thus give Him joy, for of Enoch it is said that "before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased GOD", Hebrews 11:5. Oh, to have such a testimony! In the whole body of believers, too, He is to take delight, for it is written that "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it . . . that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing", Ephesians 5:25-27. And when, at the consummation, He looks out upon the whole company of the redeemed, the old prophet tells us that "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied", Isaiah 53:11 - could anything be more truly amazing? He shall feel that all His suffering for us has been worth while. This is part of "the joy that was set before Him", for which He was content to endure the Cross, Hebrews 12:2. So let it be my whole, and holy, ambition - not, on any account, to please myself; nor, merely, to please others, though that is good within legitimate limits; but always, in big things and in little things, in spiritual things and in secular things, to "please Him who hath chosen" me, 2 Timothy 2:4. Now the happy present possibility that lies before each of us believers is that He is prepared, if we will let Him, so to deal with us that in our personal behaviour, and in our Christian service, and in our inner character, we shall be well-pleasing in His sight. II. Look next at the all-embracing phrase, "to will and to do." Here are two distinct things, psychologically apart - doing it, and desiring it. "To do" - is the problem with some of us. We need no instruction as to the right thing to do, the proper course to pursue; it is all plain to us. But we just don’t know how. One of our great scientists (I forget who it was) is reported to have said on one occasion, "If it were possible for a machine to be placed within my nature that would automatically ensure that I would always do what was right, I would close with the offer immediately." But he knew, we know, that there is no such machine. Instead, some of us are struggling on, never expect­ing to do, and never succeeding in doing "His good pleasure." "To will" - is the problem with others of us. We just don’t want to: that is the plain fact! We prefer to please ourselves; or else, for popularity’s sake, or gain’s sake, we are all out to please others; we have no real desire beyond these, no longing to please GOD. Isn’t it sad? Indeed, isn’t it mad? The late beloved F. B. Meyer relates how that once at Keswick he was confronted with some challenge of the will of GOD about which he was unwilling to surrender. On one of the surrounding hillsides the Lord wrestled with this man, as He did with Jacob, at Jabbok, long ago, Genesis 32:24. until at last Meyer con­fessed that he was willing to be made willing! Thus did GOD gain the victory in the life of that man that set the seal of mighty blessing upon all his subsequent ministry. If your life’s problem lies here, will you follow F. B. Meyer’s example and let GOD know that, with all your heart, you are willing to be made willing for "His good pleasure"? How shall this be accomplished? "God which worketh in you." Before your conversion He worked on you, by the HOLY SPIRIT, now He works in you. Let us take note of the fact that GOD the HOLY SPIRIT is positively within every Christian. If He be not in us, we are not Christians at all, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His", as Romans 8:9 teaches us. Some Christians are scarcely aware of this solemn and strategic fact: consequently they are living on a low level of spiritual experience, and because they imagine that there is nothing better in store, they are content with this second-rate life - up and down; in and out; to and from; on and off! It was like that with some of the Corinthian believers, just out of heathenism, and still, alas, practising some of the old uncleannesses of their former life. Says the apostle, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?" 1 Corinthians 6:19. You ought not to be unholy with the Holy One - in residence; and you need not be unholy for the indwelling Holy One is there to make you holy. He is positively within every Christian, however unsatisfactory that individual may be. He is actively within every Christian that is surrendered to Him, that lets Him work in him to bring about the doing and the want ­to. Thus are we to be "changed into the same image . . . by the Spirit of the Lord", 2 Corinthians 3:18 - not simply at some future date, but Now; and this is How. Happy thought! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 73: 04.08. DARKEST PLACES NEED THE... PHP 2:14-18 ======================================================================== Darkest Places Need The Brightest Lights -- Php 2:14-18 Chapter Eight "DARKEST Africa", said H. M. Stanley long ago. "Darkest England", said Booth more recently. Well­ - LIGHTS ARE MADE FOR DARKNESS You may live, or work, in a dark place. A home where, sadly enough, you are the only Christian; a workshop, factory or office where there is sheer indifference, amused contempt, or even active opposition to the things of GOD. You find it hard to maintain your principles, to keep up your end, to bear your witness. You know, don’t you, that there is a reason for your being in such a place. GOD couldn’t trust everybody to represent Him in such inimical circumstances - but He chose you, because He believes He can rely on you to be faithful. It is always a privilege to be trusted; but how high an honour to be trusted by GOD! "We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel", 1 Thessalonians 2:4, says Paul; and you can almost catch a tone of proper pride in his utterance. He bore, and exer­cised, his trust in many a difficult and dark situation, as we all know; and so it is with you, in your trying conditions. You can’t imagine a lighthouse complaining of the hardness of its lot set out there all alone on that rocky coast amid the mountain­ous seas and the howling tempest. If it were a sentient being, it would console itself with the reflection that that was what it was for - to hold out the light of the Gospel message of comfort, safety and guidance to storm-tossed vessels battling with the hurricane and looking for the harbour. That’s what you are for: if you, by GOD’S good grace, are a light, you are just the one for a dark place. Don’t disappoint His trust in you. Take a look now at the situation of these Philippian believers, as Paul describes it. They are: (i) "In the world" (Php 2:15). It is a darksome place to live the Christian life in. At the best of times it has an unfriendly atmosphere about it; and it is, of course, along with the flesh and the devil, one of the three sources of our temptation. In the New Testament, "the world" holds a moral significance, and, in this sense, is used to stand for all that is not of GOD. A worldly Christian is as a ship that has sprung a leak and allowed the sea to get in. All’s well with the ship in the sea; all’s ill when the sea is in the ship. The Christian is left here "in the world", John 17:11; John 17:15 : trouble begins when he allows the world to get into him. That’s how it was with one of Paul’s erstwhile friends, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world", 2 Timothy 4:10. So, you see, the world is materially a location, but morally a lure. Observe this further description of the Philippian church. (ii) "In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation [generation]" (Php 2:15) So these particular Christians were also in a dark spot. The spiritual life is not going to be easy for them either. I don’t suppose your difficulties and problems are so exacting as were theirs. A "crooked" people - they were not straight, they couldn’t think straight, act straight, go straight. Proverbs 2:15, tells of people "whose ways are crooked". The whole multitude of the Philippian neighbours was in that case - "we have turned every one to his own way", Isaiah 53:6, would be a perfect description of them. A "perverse" people - distorted, as the word means: they were not only out of straight, but out of shape. Like this early Christian age, how distorted are our own times: - the distorted view of GOD, as of a placid easy-going father who will not punish sin; - the distorted view of Scripture, as of a book, very remarkable certainly, but only of human authorship and authority; - the distorted view of moral values, as of things and thoughts now out-of-date in a free, promiscuous age; - the distorted view of pleasure, as if speed, and "shows", and silver were the prime necessities of life. "Perverse na­tion", says the Master, in Matthew 17:17; "speaking perverse things", says the disciple, in Acts 20:30. What a condition of things - men, and minds, and moments of darkness: just what lights are made and meant for! LIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO INFLUENCE There are things that help, and things that hinder. Of course, if we are not "sons of God" (Php 2:15), there is no light at all in our souls, and we cannot be as lights to others. Unless, and until, we have entered into the family of GOD we have not really begun to live in the Scriptural and eternal sense, whatever our other accomplishments may be. That was what astonished Nicodemus at his night interview with JESUS. This highly educated, civil and ecclesiastical leader, and good-living man, come to discuss the new doctrine of this New Teacher, is suddenly held up, at the outset of the conversation, and challenged with the devastating statement that he had not yet begun - "Ye must be born again", John 3:7. It seems that he did thus begin that night - judging from his shy remark in John 7:50, and his open action in John 19:39. Have you begun? Well now, on the Hindering side - "murmurings and dis­putings" (Php 2:14): the inward and the outward respectively, the veiled and the open, probably in relation to GOD; "the moral and the intellectual rebellion against GOD" says Lightfoot. There is doubtless a reference here to the murmurings of the children of Israel, Numbers 20:2; Numbers 21:5. "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured", 1 Corinthians 10:10. There can be no red light unless there is perfect alignment and adjustment with Him. Do you think there is some hint of this in the Master’s saying in John 8:12 - "I am the Light of the World, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Let me suggest an allusion. On a clear night, you look up into the sky and say to your friend, "How brightly the moon is shining." You should say, of course, "How brightly the sun is shining", for the moon has no light of her own. She is only reflecting the light of the sun. You can’t see it, for the sun has long since "gone down"; but the moon keeps her face to that light, and so walks in the light. If she were, by a fraction, to turn her face away - any "murmurings and disputings" - there would be no light. Transfer all this to our Lord’s words. He is that Sun - "the Sun of Righteousness", Malachi 4:2; we are that Moon, a luminary in the dark place; as we "follow" in the Sun’s track and orbit, with undeviating obedience, "without murmurings and disputings", we catch the Light and convey it to a darkling world. Thus "we all, with open [unveiled] face beholding . . . the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory", 2 Corinthians 3:18 - Only let all the glory be ascribed, not to us, but to Him: not "How bright the Moon is", but "How bright the Sun is"! Very well then, no "disputings" - no cross-purposes. And next, on the Helping side - "blameless and harmless... without rebuke" (Php 2:15). Plummer suggests that these three nega­tive adjectives should be understood to mean: - free from blame, - free from adulteration, - free from blemish. The lights of Paul’s day would be derived from oiled wicks; and if you are old enough to have had experience of oil lamps, you will remember how the light was dimmed and impeded by those excrescenses that some­times adhered to the wick - and how the light leaped to its proper brightness when the wick was trimmed. To be free of all adhesions of the evil is such a help towards the bright light of Christian testimony. Do you remember that wonderful picture of the living Lord "in the midst of the seven candle­sticks," Revelation 1:13 - that is, the seven churches, most of whose wicks are seen, in Revelation 2:1-29 and Revelation 3:1-22, to be cluttered with moral and spiritual accretions, dimming their light. So we observe this "one like unto the Son of Man" trimming the lamps. That same Lord JESUS would so readily trim our light, too, if we gave Him the chance. What a help that would be - no impediments. We have heard talk of spots on the sun: let there be no spots on you! LIGHTS ARE BEARERS OF BLESSING Where there are no lights there are always possible dangers, and often there is sin. Recall that startling disclosure of certain evil hearts, in John 3:19, "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Think of that horse­riding messenger traversing an unfamiliar coast road with a most important communication, at dead of night, who, in a sudden flash of lightning, finds that he is on the very edge of a precipitous cliff - what a blessing was that brilliant light. Think of that lonely, wounded soldier, returning to consciousness, miserably lost, out on the South African veldt: he has a compass in his pocket, but it is useless, because he can’t see it in the black darkness; then he observes a tiny light seemingly approaching him; yes, it is a wee glow-worm, by whose light he is just able to read his compass and eventually to find his way to the English lines - what a blessing was that little light. You and I, my reader, whether great or little lights, what a help we might be "in the world", if only we would shine - aiding some to see, and escape, the dangerous precipice of sin, aiding others wounded and lost in sin to find their way home to GOD. Oh, the joy of being a light like this. Our Lord said, "I am the light of the world", John 8:12, as we saw just now. He also said, "Ye are the light of the world", Matthew 5:14. What a privilege! It is His light that we get into ourselves, and then give out to others. It isn’t always easy; but what a happiness! Our passage describes it as "Holding forth the word of life" (Php 2:16) - which changes the metaphor, but not the meaning. "Holding forth", or just as easily "holding out", as if offering a gift. What an offer is this that we are entrusted with; what a responsibility is thereby ours; what a mixed reception it will meet with; what a variety of ways in which it can be proffered. This "word of life" is but another name for the light; for re­member Psalms 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." On a certain ocean liner, a passenger was lying in his cabin seriously ill. One dark night he heard a cry "Man overboard", and while sensitive to all the excitement and hurry, he was too unwell to give any help. One of the diffi­culties was that they could not see the man. All of a sudden, however, a light shone out through the glass of a port-hole. It happened to fall full on the struggling man in the water, so that they were able to throw him a life-belt and then go to his rescue. Whence came that light? From the sick man, who, feeling so distressed at his incapacity to help, managed to crawl out of his bunk, take the lantern down from the wall, and place it where it could shine forth. Imagine his joy when he learned that it was he and his lantern that had saved the man. What a light was that man, what a light was that lantern. If we would be lights shining for souls drowning, not in the sea, but in sin, we shall do it best by knowing, by using, and by living the lantern of GOD’S word. LIGHTS HAVE FIRST TO BE LIT This is, I think, what lies behind the rest of our verse Php 2:16 - that Paul looks forward to rejoicing at the judgment seat of CHRIST, when the Christian’s work shall be estimated, 1 Corinthians 3:13, that his own work shall prove to have been not as a lost race, nor as lost labour, that it shall appear that he had been GOD’S light to light these Philippian lights that were to "shine as lights in the world". Paul had set them alight. That is generally GOD’S way: nearly always He uses human instruments. And some­ times it is lesser lights that light larger lights - matches ignite torches. What a torch Peter was: it was the smaller Andrew that set a match to him. John 1:42. What a torch Nehemiah became: it was the almost unknown Hanani that set him aflame, Nehemiah 1:2. Have you heard of that torch, C. H. Spurgeon? Yes, but have you known the name of the match, that old lay preacher that winter’s morning in the Colchester chapel? Have you ever heard of a Mr. Kimball? You should have, for his name is well known in Heaven - he was only a match, but he set a great torch alight, Dwight L. Moody. You will have heard of Maria Millis? No? Well, have you heard of the Earl of Shaftesbury? Yes, of course - he was the torch, but she was the match: his childhood nurse, who sowed the seed, struck the spark, lit the flame. We can’t all be torches, but we can all be matches - though we ourselves are of such insignificant personality as a match, we can, if we are lit, set another ablaze for GOD as a veritable torch. Ah, and more than one. Have you ever played that parlour game, How many candles can you light with one match? This was the employ that gave Paul the greatest joy of his life - to have led Timothy into the light, "my own son in the faith", 1 Timothy 1:2; or Titus, "mine own son after the common faith", Titus 1:4; or Onesimus, "whom I have begotten in my bonds", Philemon 1:10; or Philemon himself, "thou owest unto me even thine own self", Philemon 1:19; and many, many another, including the recipients of this Epistle, "my joy and crown", Php 4:1! Make it your aim, my reader, to light as many candles as you can with your match, even if you suffer the burning of your own fingers. You were not lit for yourself alone. Have you had a kindness ["the kindness", Titus 3:4] shown? Pass it on ! "Twas not meant for thee alone, Pass it on! Let it travel down the years, Let it dry another’s tears, Till in Heaven the deed appears, Pass it on!" Doggerel, did you say? Well, good sense, anyway - and even, spiritually, good manners. Paul has in mind the idea of that last longer line, "till in Heaven the deed appears", when he speaks of his desire to "rejoice in the day of Christ." May we, too, have that joy. The late Dean Vaughan, bygone famous trainer of aspiring young ministers of the Gospel - who, by the way, were dubbed "Vaughan’s doves" used, in his last lecture to them, to say, "Gentlemen, whatever else you are or do, make sure that you so order your life and ministry that when you get up yonder there shall be many a one who shall take you by the hand and lead you to the Throne and say, ’Lord, in Thy power, this man brought me here.’" Yes, indeed, bliss for the soul-winner, the life-lighter, Here and Hereafter. But - LIGHTS ARE SACRIFICIAL THINGS Do you recall how that, when referring to that flaming torch, John Baptist, our Lord said. "He was a burning and a shining light", John 5:35 - there is no shining without burning. The rule is clearly evident in the disappearing wax of the candle - or in the consumption of the oil of the lamp; but it is true in all cases - there is no light without combustion. So the remainder of this present passage is concerned with the sacrificial aspect of the Christian life. The allusion of verse Php 2:17 is to a practice operating in both Jewish and heathen religions. We may assume that it was the latter that Paul referred to, inasmuch as the Philippian Christians would scarcely be familiar with Jewish ways; but, having them­selves just come out from heathendom, they would at once catch the allusion to the pagan rites. When certain annual sacrifices were made, the custom was to accompany the offering with a pouring of wine. Josephus tells us that in Jewish sacrifices this drink-offering, Numbers 15:5, was poured "around" the altar; whereas in the heathen rite, the libation was poured "upon" the victim. It is "upon" that is used here, which I take to strengthen the suggestion that the apostle’s reference is to the heathen practice. This being clear, we may now conclude that Paul thinks of their sacrifice as the oblation and his blood­shedding, when it comes, as the libation. Listen to Lightfoot’s summing-up. "The Philippians are the priests; their faith (or their good works springing from their faith) is the sacrifice; Paul’s life-blood the accompanying libation." In this mutual self-giving, the apostle finds cause for mutual gladness - "I joy, and rejoice" (Php 2:17); "ye joy, and rejoice" (Php 2:18). Darkest places need the brightest lights. How true! Let us see to it that by GOD’S grace there shall be no damage to our testimony. that might cause shipwreck, alas, to any soul. May I repeat W. Y. Fullerton’s great story? One night, off the Florida coast, a tempestuous gale was blowing. The violence of the wind was so terrific that it stove in the glass of one of the sides of the lantern of the lighthouse set to guard that part of the treacherously rocky shore. The keeper had no other glass to cover the gap and shield the lamp, and doing his best, he fixed in a sheet of tin. In the storm a harassed ship was beating up, trying to find harbour, and not finding a light that he knew should be there the captain got confused and ran his vessel on to the rocks, when boat and all hands were lost. Why? Because the light­house had one part dark! I go straight to Luke 11:36, "having no part dark" - oh, the damage, even the shipwreck we may cause to another soul and life, if by some unjudged habit, some wretched inconsistency, some slack behaviour, some "part dark", obscuring the light, we bring loss to others. Let us close our meditation with the prayer that we may be "full of light", and full of the "joy" of our concluding verses. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 74: 04.09. A COUPLE OF FINE SPECIMENS -- PHP_2:19-30 ======================================================================== A Couple of Fine Specimens -- Php 2:19-30 Chapter Nine WE have just been thinking about lights, and here now we have two magnificent examples. Two Christian men utterly consistent, good, through and through. It used to be said that the difference between linoleum and cork-linoleum was that in the one the pattern was on top and eventually wore off, but in the other the pattern went right through. This was the style of these two men - Christian all through, inward and outward. The late beloved Taylor Smith used to say, "It isn’t the label on the bottle, but what’s inside". With Epaphroditus and Timothy the two coincided - Christian in name, Christian in nature. The passage is a homely one and reflects the real affection existing, on both sides, between Paul and his beloved Philippians. Let us get the picture clear. Back in the summer these European Christians had sent Epaphroditus to Rome to carry a gift to Paul in prison. Now, according to Professor David Smith, it is November, and Paul has not yet acknowledged the present­ not that he was unappreciative of their kindness, nor that he was careless of such a courtesy, but just that he had had no one to send. You couldn’t, in those days, pop a letter in a pillar-box! Meanwhile, Epaphroditus had been given instructions by the Philippian church that he was, having delivered the goods, to stay by the apostle for a while and help him in any way he could. This he did to such purpose that he made himself ill - so ill, that he was like to die. However, to Paul’s relief and joy, he was spared and raised up to life and service again. His distress now was that the Philippian friends, who had sent him, had got wind of his illness and were worrying about how things were going with him, and was he getting on? Paul, therefore, unselfish as ever, decides to send him back to his own people - he will, in that case, be able to carry the apostle’s belated thanks for their generosity to him, and they will also have the comfort and satisfaction of getting their friend home once more. For his own part, Paul expects to be able to visit Philippi at some future date. At the moment that cannot be, for he is a prisoner and must await his appearance in court; but as soon as he knows how his case has gone, he will be off to see them [which, probably he did]. Before he can himself get started, he will send their highly esteemed friend, Timothy, to bring them the news of the decision - for there was no wireless then. And, as they await the result, Epaphroditus is dispatched, carrying with him this priceless letter, so full of affectionate happiness. There is the story; and now let us examine the verses, in more particular reference to these two typical specimens of the all-out and all­-round Christian. READY TO GO ANYWHERE Suppose GOD planned to send you to some dark pagan corner of the globe to be His light to benighted, groping, heathen souls, would you go? Said Henry Martin, on the eve of his departure for the dark mission-field, "I go to burn out for GOD." Would you be prepared for that, if it proved to be GOD’S will for you? Here before us are two men ready, any moment, to go anywhere on Paul’s errands in the service of the Master. Note Paul’s decision "to send Timotheus" (Php 2:19), and "to send... Epaphroditus" (Php 2:25). He knew there was no question of their prompt obedience, nor of their consulting their own convenience. How interesting it is to mark this fine quality in GOD’S servants to go wherever they be sent, in spite of the errand being fraught with possible danger. Look at some. "And Moses went," Exodus 4:18 - yes, back to Egypt, from which, forty years before, he had fled for his life. He had made every excuse for not going; but, when he saw that this was GOD’S plan for him, he "went." And to what purpose. "And Elijah went," 1 Kings 18:2 - sent to go and meet cruel undisciplined Ahab, who had been searching the land to find him that he might silence his awkward, prophetic ministry. In this case it seems that there was no hesitation. As soon as GOD’S plan was plain, he "went", to what a scene of triumph for JEHOVAH on Carmel. "And [Philip]... went," Acts 8:27 - but he was the leader of a great revival movement in Samaria. Surely, it must be a mistake; it would appear to be clear that he cannot be spared from his truly strategic position as centre, and pivot, of the widespread blessing. Especially as he is bidden to betake himself to a desert region and eventually to devote himself to one man. Spite of what must have been his mystification, he "went" - to lead that one highly placed official to CHRIST, and who, in his turn, was seemingly used to the founding of the once-virile church in North Africa. What a good thing he went! "And Ananias went," Acts 9:17 - it was surely putting his head in the lion’s mouth. This Saul of Tarsus, arch-persecutor, and here in Damascus for that very intent - again, there must be some mistake. When, however, this disciple was reassured, he "went", and had the joy of being the first Christian to give to this remarkable convert the right hand of fellowship, and the first to minister to his deep need. Thanks be to GOD for these, and others, who so bravely "went" on GOD’S errands. I remember hearing the saintly F. B. Meyer, then still preaching at eighty­-two, say "I have only one ambition: to be GOD’S errand-boy"! How beautifully in tune with that lovely self-portrait of Gabriel, which I love to quote, in Luke 1:19, "I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of GOD; and am sent . . ." That was the intention of the Master for His disciples, "He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them . . ." Mark 3:14. Might He have us, to be absolutely at His disposal, to take messages anywhere? READY TO HELP ANYONE Note this spirit of helpfulness in the case of Timothy (Php 2:20-21). Here are what one might call three directions of help. (a) Our­selves - "all seek their own". How common a trait it is, in the generality of people, to be always careful to look after Number One. Even when such folk do good things, it is only to gain kudos and a reputation for themselves: they are of the same ilk as the "hypocrites" of Matthew 6:1 ff, who performed the creditable functions of giving, praying and fasting; "to be seen of men", "that they may have glory of men." I - is their god; Self - is their goal; Me, Me, Me - is their slogan. Well now, Timothy was not one of these - as the implication of the passage shows. (b) Others - "who will naturally care for your state" (Php 2:20). That was this young man’s outlook. When Sir Bartle Frere returned from India, the carriage was sent to the village station to bring him to his home. When the new footman, but newly engaged, asked how he should recognise Sir Bartle, his aged mother said. "Look out for somebody helping someone else." Sure enough, when the London train had drawn in, the manservant observed a gentleman assisting an old lady to the platform and then jumping back into the carriage to fetch out her luggage. Going straight up to him, the footman enquired, "Sir Bartle?" Yes; it was he. What a lovely reputation to have! To be known as one who is always on the look-out to see when, and how, one can help others. Others: yes, that was a supreme characteristic of the Master, "He saved others," Matthew 27:42. I suspect it was a mark of Timothy’s life also. Do you observe that word "naturally" in verse Php 2:20? He was a Christian, and was therefore a possessor of that new nature that comes from the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT. It should always be a quite natural thing for a Christian man to be an "others" man, for "the fruit of the Spirit is love", Galatians 5:22. Non-Christian people sometimes display this quality of others-ness. With them, it is like apples tied on a tree; with us it is fruit growing out naturally. But, but, but - is it always so seen in us Christians? Are not we sometimes very self-centred - self-seeking, showing little of the "care" of others which was so manifest a feature in Timothy’s make-up? Described as we are, in Isaiah 61:3, as "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified", we have become fruitless trees, and He is not glorified, and others have not been helped. (c) Our Lord - "the things which are Jesus Christ’s" (Php 2:21). The inference here is that those who help others help Him. We know how the opposite of that is true, for we remember how the Living Lord says to Saul, "Why persecutest thou Me?" It was the Christians he was hurting. Yes; and, in so doing, he was hurting Him. We recall, too, His words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it . . . done it unto Me... Inasmuch as ye did it not . . . did it not to Me"; Matthew 25:40; Matthew 25:45. All this apart, there are those, and Timothy was one of them, whose lives are devoted, not consciously to their own interests, but to the concerns of the Lord - who care, above all else, that His Name shall be honoured among men, that His Kingdom shall be furthered through the world, that His Will shall be done in earth as it is done in Heaven, Matthew 6:9-10. Here, then, is Timothy, ready to help anyone, whether in secular, or whether in spiritual matters; anxious above all to help his spiritual "father" (Php 2:22). Many a little fellow loves to help daddy; many a grown-up son counts it a joy and privilege to help the old gentleman. Just so was Timothy - as the Philippians had "proved" (Php 2:22) - eager to serve with Paul in the fellowship, and adventure, of "the gospel." Only let Paul use him to the full, and the young protege was happy, whatever be the diffi­culties that were in the way. Paul, on his part, is so glad to use so enthusiastic a helper, and sends him hither and thither on gospel errands - to Philippi, almost immediately (Php 2:23), to Ephesus to take up the oversight of the churches in the vicinity (1 Timothy 1:3). The man will prove a succourer of many - of any he can help. Note this spirit of helpfulness also in the case of Epaphroditus (Php 2:25-30). Paul writes of him as "he that ministered to my wants." For "ministered" he uses an interesting word. He could have employed other words, but he chooses this which, as a matter of fact, refers specifically to Temple service - as if the things this man did for the apostle were of a religious nature, because done also for the Lord. Verily, there is nothing secular that is done for JESUS’ sake - even "a cup of cold water." Never forget that when this same apostle writes, in 1 Corinthians 12:28 about great spiritual gifts, "first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings . . . governments, diversities of tongues," he has in that blank space the word "helps". Those other things are out of the reach of most of us, but we can all be helps. What a help Epaphroditus was, "My brother" - fellow-believers: as such born into the family of the Father. All His sons are brothers of each other. Alas, we don’t always behave brotherly towards our fellow-Christians, as Galatians 6:10 says we ought "especi­ally" to do. My "companion in labour" - fellow-worker: no distinction drawn between the foreman and the ordinary hand. The apostle places his helper as on the same footing in this build­ing operation. My "fellow-soldier" - fellow-campaigner in this "World War One" against all the allied forces of entrenched evil. Then Paul turns to simpler tasks performed by this helper. "Your messenger" - the one sent by the Philippian church with the love and largesse of the believers there. He had doubt­less, with gladness, accepted this commission. Lastly, "that ministered to my wants" - what were these wants, and how catered for, we do not know. What we do know is that he wore himself out in this "Temple ministry". As the passage ends, "to supply your lack of service toward me" - it doesn’t mean that they were ignorant of his need, nor idle to supply it, but that, for some while, they had had no chance to do what their heart longed to do. All that distance over land and sea away, they had no one to take the supplies, until Epaphroditus had become available for the purpose. And now, Paul reports, his friend "was full of heaviness" - full of gladness that he was the better of his sickness, but so sorry because the news of his grave illness had somehow reached Philippi, and he knew how grieved and anxious they would be. Thus is revealed the deep affection of all to each. How Paul loved Timothy and Epaphroditus; how they loved him. How Paul loved the Philippians; how they loved him. How Epaphroditus (and even Timothy, Php 2:20) loved the Philippians; how they loved him. See how these Christians loved one another! Ere we come to consider a last thought or two from our passage, may we turn aside to ponder the sad lack of love in the Church to-day. There is no lack of learning - and we welcome it all, as it seeks to unravel for us the secrets of GOD’s universe and GOD’s truth. There is no lack of organisation - and we recognise the usefulness of it, so long as it does not strangle the organism. There is no lack of busy-ness - alas, that so much of it is not real business. There is, however, a strange and sad lack of love - ­and love is the true test of discipleship. Are you a Christian? Here is the sign by which you may be sure: listen carefully: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love . . ." 1 John 3:14. Do others know we are Christians? Here is the test: listen carefully: "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love . . ." John 13:35. Oh, that all we Christians everywhere would pray, and pray again, and yet again for a great baptism of love, as in the first days of the Church. What revolutions would be brought to pass. We cannot achieve this by any energy of our own: the secret lies in the full understanding and experience of Romans 5:5. And now back to our passage, where we shall find our two good specimens­ READY TO SACRIFICE ANYTHING We thought in our last Study of the self-sacrifice involved in the light. A single phrase written in the account of these two men will be sufficient to indicate the same truth in their case, magnificent lights that they are. (i) "Served with me in the Gospel" (Php 2:22). A fellow-slave, for so strong is the word. It is interesting to observe how anxious Paul seems to have been to hold both these men as equal partners with himself in the pursuit of the great advantage. By the way, the word "in" could easily be "unto", unto the Gospel: Plummer translates it "for the promotion of" - you get the same thing in Php 1:5. Here, then, is Timothy slaving away, alongside his father in GOD, sharing the hardships, the perils, the chances of the cam­paign. All which conjures up in our minds a young man of tough constitution - yet, how different is the case. Look at him as he really is, as the records describe him. (a) His sheltered home­ - "I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice", 2 Timothy 1:5. Picture of a quiet and godly home, with Tiny Tim reared in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15) and brought up in the faith of GOD, which afterwards, when a boy of say, fifteen, grew into the Christian belief. (b) His delicate health - "Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities", 1 Timothy 5:23. Mark that he says "a little"! (c) His sensitive nature - "let no man despise thy youth", 1 Timothy 4:12. So does Paul feel it necessary to take the stand compatible with his position of the Oversight of the Ephesian churches; he is not to be upset by the possible attitude of supercilious superiority of some who might reflect upon the fewness of his years, and the narrowness of his experience. What impression, I wonder, was made upon this shy, timid soul by the news - and possibly even the sight - of the stoning of Paul in his native Lystra, Acts 14:19. It was there and then, it seems, that Timothy became a believer in that faith for which Paul suffered, and in which he continued to grow, being "well reported of" by the Christians there. And when Paul was next in Lystra, amongst other things looking for another young fellow to join his mission party in place of the deserted Mark, it was to this convert of his that he turned, and constrained to throw in his lot with him, Acts 16:1-3. So it came to pass that this so unlikely person, knowing full well what of privation, danger, and suffering it might mean, as Paul had already undergone, yet ventured forth with him, utterly regardless of his own comfort and feelings. Tradition has it that he was ultimately clubbed to death, after a life of toil and tumult. Ready for anything was this heroic young man, with self always sacrificed to CHRIST and His cause. Can the Master count upon us for a like complete surrender of ourselves "for the promotion of the Gospel"? We turn, in conclusion, to that second man, and note, in the account of him, this illuminating phrase, "not regarding his life" (Php 2:30). The Greek word of seventeen letters translated "not regarding" is a picturesque one, and really signifies "hazarding", or gambling. We naturally think of Paul and Barnabas, who, in Acts 15:26, are described, though there a different word is used, as "men that have hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ". Epaphroditus belonged to that same fine company; "indeed he was sick nigh unto death" (Php 2:27). We may presume that he was a well-­enough man when he left Philippi, and that he contracted no trouble on the journey, but that he took the deadly disease owing to his unflagging, self-forgetful zeal for Paul’s service, and the work of GOD, in Rome. Do you remember that the runaway thief, the slave Onesimus, was found in the slums of Rome - "the common sink of all the worst vices of humanity", as Lightfoot called it - and brought to Paul in his prison, where he was converted, Philemon 1:10? I wonder who discovered him, and fetched him? Was this the kind of thing that Epaphro­ditus was doing? Was it there, in the fetid atmosphere of the squalid environs of the back streets and hiding-places of Imperial Rome, that he caught his germ? Run down with strenuous labour, he might so easily have become susceptible to some venomous virus. So, in very zeal he gambled with his life "for the work of Christ" (Php 2:30). The late Professor Deissman, in his Light from the Ancient East, has told us that at Alexandria there was a large guild (and it seems that there were similar brotherhoods elsewhere), called the Parabolani (a name akin to this word for "hazarding"), who risked their lives in visiting the sick and burying the dead during the plague. In the early church there were those who missed the martyr’s death, but deserved the martyr’s crown. Yes, here were two valiants, Ready for Anything. How much does GOD see us ready for? How fine a slogan it would be for all of us Christians, who are enlisted as good soldiers of JESUS CHRIST, 2 Timothy 2:3, just four vows - Anywhere! Anyone! Anything! Any cost! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 75: 04.10. PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT - PHP_3:1-11 ======================================================================== Profit And Loss Account - Php 3:1-11 Chapter Ten BEFORE taking up the main theme, let us deal with one or two other matters that are mentioned at the opening of the passage. "Finally, my brethren" - as if he is thinking of concluding the letter; we have the same thing at Php 4:8. In both cases. how glad we are that the Epistle did not end there - for there follow in each instance, precious utterances that we should be sorry indeed to miss. "Rejoice in the Lord" - everything for Paul is "in the Lord": it is, as Plummer says, the Christian’s natural environ­ment. "To write the same things to you" - reiteration is one of the great rules of a good teacher, and the apostle was one of the best of tutors. For instance, this "Rejoice" of his - how often he repeats it - yet never so often as to be "grievous", or irksome, to himself, nor unnecessary to their welfare. The reiterations of GOD make a moving study - "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time", Jonah 3:1; "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God", Psalms 62:11; "How often would I. . . and ye would not", Matthew 23:37; "Behold I stand [keep on standing] at the door, and knock [keep on knocking] . . .", Revelation 3:20. Our Lord Himself did the same thing; and often when there seem to be discrepancies as between the two utterances of what appears to be the identical statement, there turns out to be no contra­diction, but He is repeating a story, an illustration, in different contexts, and He alters the form somewhat to suit other circum­stances, other audiences. Have you noticed that, while in Luke 15:4, He tells about the Lost Sheep in allusion to the publicans. He repeats the story, in Matthew 18:12, in relation to the children? All we preachers occasionally repeat an old sermon! Ah yes, there is value in reiteration. "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision" - the presence, in the Greek, of the definite article shows that he is referring not to these dangers in general, but to particular people, whose activities were well known to the readers. Wherever Paul worked he was, it seems, opposed by, troubled by, one or other of two powerful false teachings - Juda­ism or Gnosticism. In Colossians, it was particularly the latter that was the problem; in Philippians, it was the former, with their strong and specific demand that all Christians must adhere to the Mosaic law, and be circumcised. By this and other aberrations from the truth, these people [like some ’Isms, and ’Ists of to-day] were a constant menace and nuisance. "Dogs" - Paul calls them, for he can be very blunt in his language. He does not mean the little pet dogs of the home that JESUS mentions in Matthew 15:26, but the Eastern ill-conditioned pariah dogs that prowl for garbage, whose bark was unnerving, and whose bite was poisonous. Jews always called Gentiles "dogs" - as Paul himself would have done in his unconverted days; but now he turns the opprobrious epithet upon these Judaisers. "Evil workers" - they certainly are, sowing the seeds of doubt, sapping the strength of confidence and enthusiasm, stopping the testimony of some who were once so keen. "The concision" - Paul labels them, which means a "cutting." Circumcision was a sacred rite; but these people had robbed it of all truly religious significance, and made it no more than a physical formality - it was as worthless as the gashings of the prophets of Baal, in 1 Kings 18:28. "We are the circumcision" - the true circumcision, the inheritors of that for which the old covenant rite stood. "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham", Galatians 3:7. "We worship God", not merely in the letter, but "in the spirit"; and we "rejoice" in having the One for whom the old covenant was the preparation; and we set no store by the mere cutting of "the flesh." We look for "the true circumcision of the spirit." There we may finish our preliminary considerations, and go on now to the main teaching of the passage. The apostle is very quick to seize upon anything in common life to provide him with an illustration of spiritual truth. How apt was his Master in that same practice. So now the apostle goes to the world of business and brings out a meditation on spiritual accountancy, drawing up for himself, and for our instruction, what we have called a "Profit and Loss Account." He says "I counted" (Php 3:7), "I count" (Php 3:8), "[I] count" (Php 3:8). THE PROFITS THAT PROVED LOSS What a list of investments he puts down. Gilt-edged securities, he had considered them, but they had grossly depreciated, and now he was forced to write them off as worth just nothing. The scrip was just scrap. Let us look them over for our guidance in our Life’s business. (Php 3:1) "Circumcised the eighth day" - which shows that he was a true Jew; Ishmaelites were circumcised at thirteen years old; proselytes - that is, Gentiles who embraced the Jewish faith - were circumcised at any age, upon admission to Judaism. Paul never forgot his Jewish nationality, and wherever he went he always sought to preach first in the syna­gogue. Only after they refused him a hearing did he assert, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles", Acts 18:6. Though he became the apostle of the Gentiles, and though he is writing to Gentiles, he yet says, "To the Jew first", Romans 1:16; and in the very same Epistle (Romans 10:1), he declares, "My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved ". Are we so earnest for the spiritual blessing and welfare of the nation to which we belong? (Php 3:2) "Of the stock of Israel" - this is the religious name of the nation, and meant so much to the real, pious Jew. Paul would assess the material value of the ancient people as very high, but it was, for him, the spiritual side that held highest honour. To have come from such a stock was privilege indeed. (Php 3:3) "Of the tribe of Benjamin" - what a tribe to belong to. "Little Benjamin", as the Psalmist affection­ately called it, Psalms 68:27. It was specially noteworthy for its having the Holy City within its borders, and as being the birthplace of the people’s first king, after whom Paul’s Jewish name was taken. Inhabitants thereof are proud of being Lancastrians, Devonians, Northumbrians, and so on: thus would some Israelites be proud of being a Benjaminian, or is it Benjamite? Paul was. (Php 3:4) "An Hebrew of the Hebrews" though living at Tarsus, Acts 11:25, and educated at the great University there, Paul was pure Jew. Concerning Timothy it is said, Acts 16:1, that "his father was a Greek"; but there was no such heathen blood in our apostle. Both his parents were pure Jews, so that he is properly here described as "a Hebrew sprung from Hebrews." One can imagine how, as a rising young Rabbi in training, he set so much value on his pure, unmixed descent. He felt that, in his future work, it would stand him in good stead. (Php 3:5) "As touching the law, a Pharisee" - this was his religious adherence, and he would be very strict in all the daily observance of "the law", with all the Scribal accretions attached; he would be very haughty in demeanour. As a sect, they came under the scathing denunciation of our Lord, because of the arrogance of their outward conduct alongside the putridity of their inward corruption - "whited sepulchres", as He called them, Matthew 23:27. There was, of course, a different type of Pharisee, strongly political, eager nationalist, anti-­Roman, who, especially during their history in the time between the Old and New Testaments, the period of the Maccabees, showed heroic qualities on behalf of their race. Ah well, they were a mixed company; but we have a feeling that Paul himself was of the ardent, the upright, the better sort. (Php 3:6) "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church" - how praiseworthy and creditable it had seemed. As an abnormally young member of the Sanhedrin, he had, from the first, been in touch with what he would then doom the heretical JESUS movement. He may even have been present at the Trial; but now He was dead and done for - making Himself equal with GOD, indeed! But this man, in his fanatical indignation, was not going to sit at ease; he would stamp out the remembrance of the Nazarene’s name, and root out every disciple and believer. So it was that "Saul . . . made havoc of the church", Acts 8:3. Until the dramatic moment when he heard the dead Man’s voice again - amazed, arrested, "apprehended" (Php 3:12). How gloriously he brought all his gifts, and all his zeal, into the service of his new-found Master and Saviour. (Php 3:7) "Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" - One thinks at once of that other religious young man, who, under the gaze of holy, penetrating eyes, was able to say of the law’s demands, "Master, all these have I observed from my youth", Mark 10:20. Concerning Saul, as he then was, Plummer writes, "Minute duties were scrupulously performed, and no Pharisee, however strict, could have blamed him for laxity". Would that we were as "blameless" relating to the Christian code. There it all is, then - what riches they once had seemed; but now it had all fallen about his ears. It took his blinded eyes to see how worthless it all was. His spiritual finance was in a hopeless tangle. Becoming his own auditor, he could only certify the whole as dead loss, and himself a miserable and hopeless bankrupt. "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss . . ." (Php 3:7). It is time we went into the other side of his Account. THE LOSSES THAT PROVED PROFIT There was a queer transposition of the credit and debit sides of the account. Look at it. "I have suffered the loss of all things" (Php 3:8). He had lost financial stability - at one time he had doubtless lived an affluent life; he could not have studied at Tarsus University, nor moved later in Pharisaical and Sanhedrin circles unless he and his family were quite well-to-do. Now he was a poor man, often, for his livelihood, depending upon his craft of tent-making, Acts 18:3, and sometimes reduced to accepting gifts from his friends for his provision, Php 4:11-12. He had lost physical comfort - it would appear that, from the time of his conversion, he was cut off from his family, for they are never mentioned, and he was condemned to a life of privation and suffering such as has fallen to the lot of few. Read his own account of it, in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 - "labours, stripes, prisons, rods, stoned, shipwreck, journeyings, perils, weariness, painfulness, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness, care." Where was the comfort that once he knew? Does not the list make you a little ashamed, that your Christian adherence causes you so little distress? Do you not think that a bit of persecution, in these days of ease, would perhaps waken us up, tighten us up, smarten us up into something nearer to the virility of the first believers? He had lost great reputation - the Scribes of the day would look upon this brilliant young man as one of the most promising of their coming leaders; he would be held in high esteem by all who recognised the values belonging to the upright Jewish faith. Now he is regarded, and treated, as "the offscouring of all things." Yes, he had lost everything that he had held dear. How did he view all that sacrifice? Let Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, reply, for he experienced something at least of Paul’s troubles. Someone, trying to be encouraging, said to him, "Mr. Taylor, you must have sacrificed much." To which the old missionary veteran replied, "Man, I never made a sacrifice in my life." That is just how Paul would have answered. "Sacrifice? No, no; "for Christ" (Php 3:7), on the other side of the scale, the other side of the account, with all His treasure, completely outweighed the seeming loss of things. Florence Nightingale gave it as the secret of her life, "I have never refused GOD anything" - she gave Him her all. ’Twas no loss for her, for GOD will be no man’s debtor: He countered by giving His all to her. You see, others than Paul, have had their strange Profit and Loss Accounts. "I count all things but loss" (Php 3:8) - all those things that the Jewish world estimated so highly. Even the good things, he rated as of no account seeing that they yielded no interest in the money-market of the soul, paid no dividends to the "[treasury] in Heaven", Matthew 6:20. Even those things that may legitimately be reckoned good, the positions and pleasures of life, the things that He "giveth us richly... to enjoy", this man is gladly willing to forgo, that he throw his whole being into the joyful and fruitful service of his Master. "To what purpose is this waste?", Matthew 26:8, said the disciples, egged on by the money-grubbing Judas, John 12:4-6, at the prodigality of a devoted woman’s love-gift. They said the same thing when George Pilkington, leading classical scholar of his year at Cam­bridge, threw up all his fine prospects at home to devote his life to missionary service in Uganda - but what an income accrued from such a loss. They said the same thing when C. T. Studd, Cambridge and England cricketer, gave away his considerable private fortune, and went off to labour in the mission-fields of inland China, and unevangelised Africa - his earthly waste was heavenly winnings. They would have said the same when the attractive little corn of wheat fell into the ground and died; but "if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit", John 12:24. So found Paul - and many more! Now, therefore, consider­ THE GAINS THAT REVOLUTIONISED THE ACCOUNT Shall we call the first a Personal Gain - "that I may win Christ" (Php 3:8). The word "win" - not by any merits, or deeds, or promises can we win Him: the word "win" is "gain". All financial gain, all material gain, all physical gain, all intellectual gain, all moral gain, all religious gain - all these are but such little gains compared with the Great Gain. This is a matter of personal choice: we may choose to have Him, or we may refuse to have Him. Back of our choice there is, of course, His sovereign will and grace - "ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you . . ." John 15:16. They had, indeed, chosen Him; but, primarily, the choice was His - is always His; in our case, too. The first entry, because fact, on the credit side of his account is this personal Gain of CHRIST - not any thing, nor any experience, nor any blessing; it is He alone that can satisfy. And how gloriously He does! Shall we call the second a positional Gain - that I may "be found in Him" (Php 3:9). Here we touch on one of Paul’s outstanding themes; over and over again we have the phrase "in Christ", or "in Him", or "in the Lord". All that we are, we are because of our position; all that we have, we have because of our position; all that we know, we know because of our position; all that we gain, we gain because of our position. "In Him", amongst much else, we have a "righteousness," a right standing before GOD - not derived from any merit of "mine own", a law-right­eousness, arising from scrupulous observance of all its regulations: a pretty hopeless proposition. Ours is, in fact, the spotless righteousness of CHRIST, reckoned to be ours in response to our "faith" in Him; and followed by a righteous behaviour, that becomes those who enjoy such a position "in Him." Shall we call the third a Potential Gain - big with potentiality, emanating from those two previous gains. (a) "That I may know Him" (Php 3:10). Having gained Him, and being found in Him, it is only to be expected that we should have a great desire to come to know Him better and better as the days go by. Knowledge of all kinds, except knowledge of evil, is of great value; but what knowledge could be compared, either for beauty, for satisfaction, or for power, with this growing intimacy with Him. Abraham was what he was, because he came to be the friend of GOD; Moses did what he did, because he talked with GOD face to face; they knew GOD. And, says the old prophet, "The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits," Daniel 11:32. Let us, then, join the apostle in so great a desire; and let us, by regular communion with Him over the Word, the Bench, and the Table, and by a daily habit of obedience to His will, seek this wondrous personal knowledge of Himself, which He is so graciously willing to grant to any of His children. (b) "That I may know... the power of His resurrection." Romans 5:9 says that "by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath" released from all that is meant and involved in sin’s guilt, penalty, stain, by His Cross. Romans 5:10 says that "being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" - that is, our ability to conquer sin’s daily habit, and our possibility of living in daily holiness, are derived from the power within us of His risen life. "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me", Galatians 2:20. (c) "That I may know... the fellowship of His sufferings." CHRIST’S sufferings preceded His resurrection; Paul’s sufferings followed his knowledge of the resurrection. Do you recall Acts 9:16, after his knowledge of the Risen Lord, "I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My Name’s sake." He had essayed to stamp out the Name; now he must suffer in pro­claiming the same. Being ready, if needs be, to suffer for allegiance to Him is a sure test of our love, and a clear mark of our loyalty. And if such experiences are ordained for us, we shall enjoy a very sweet fellowship in them with the Greatest Sufferer of all. (d) "Being made conformable unto His death." That means, I believe, the crucifixion of self, in application of the truth of Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ". Yet, the thought of physical death was probably not altogether absent from the apostle’s mind for he goes on (e) "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" - although even that could refer to the living of the resurrection life here and now, "Nevertheless I live," Galatians 2:20. "If ye then be risen with Christ," Colossians 3:1. The doctors disagree! So the apostle escapes his threatened spiritual bankruptcy. Reviewing, with new understanding, his assets and liabilities, his income and expenditure, he closes his Account with a huge Balance on the right side - a Balance at the Bank of Heaven, for sure keeping, Matthew 6:20; and a Balance in Hand to meet daily expenses, or emergencies. When the late Sir Leo Page resigned the honorary secretaryship of a charitable fund connected with the criminal courts in Berkshire, he sent the account books to his successor, accompanied by some lines of verse that he wrote, ending with the thought, "When I advance with faltering feet To show my final Balance Sheet" A friend of his, writing in a Times obituary, 3 September 1951, says, "His account is in order". So was Paul’s; and so "in Christ" may ours be. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 76: 04.11. A SPORTING INTERLUDE -- PHP_3:12-16 ======================================================================== A Sporting Interlude -- Php 3:12-16 Chapter Eleven HERE is this master of illustration at it again, drawing his lessons this time from the Sporting Arena - either, as he is writing from that city, the Roman Stadium; or, more likely, as the readers would know it better, from the Greek arena of the Isthanian Games. He naturally begins with - THE START OF THE RACE "I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Php 3:12). How well we know the story of the morning and manner of his arrest on the Damascus road - that was what started him on the Christian race. He was quick off the mark, as all successful athletes must be; for it says that "straightway he preached Christ" Acts 9:20. It seems a mere cliche to say that we must begin at the beginning; we cannot barge into the race some laps in front of the starting-point, just wherever we like. Yet, there are folk who do make this mistake. They imagine that to begin the Christian life they must do good things, turn over a new leaf, try their hardest, make solemn promises - all good in their right place, after the race is begun; but the start is at the point of CHRIST’S grasp of us in grace, and our grasp of Him by faith. Do you remember in John Bunyan’s immortal allegory that the Christian way opened at the little Wicket Gate - picture of our Lord JESUS, who said, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved", John 10:9; and how that two men, Formalist and Hypocrisy, thinking they knew better, instead of going right round to the starting-gate, climbed over the wall, well ahead of where they should have begun. They were, of course, disqualified. Have you started yet? You say, "I go to church" - fine. "I read my Bible" - good. "I say my prayers" - excellent. "I live a decent life" - of course. "I try to help other people" - splendid. I can imagine Nicodemus claiming all this, and more; but, as we saw in an earlier study, our Lord told him he had not started yet, John 3:7. Have you started? Many of my readers can remember their "Damascus Road" - the place where CHRIST met them, the living JESUS arrested them. Sometimes, that "road" has been a strange place - in my own experience, one was under a street lamp-post; another was literally on a rubbish-heap; another was on a seat on Liverpool Street Station, in London. Others, of course, have been in ordinary places: church, chapel, hall, drawing-room, open-air meeting. Where was your starting-place? How Paul loved to tell of his conver­sion - dwelling on all the details, amazed at the forgiving love for sinners, "of whom I am chief", 1 Timothy 1:15. So he was "apprehended". It was CHRIST who took the initiative - pricking his conscience, Acts 9:5, pursuing him along the road, like Francis Thompson’s "Hound of Heaven", persuading him with the urgency of the telegrammatic double-knock, "Saul, Saul"! No, he could not get over the wonder of it all. When Hebrews 12:1-2 talks about the Christian Race, it speaks of the Lord JESUS as "the author and finisher of our faith" race. I wonder if we are, on account of the context, justified in inter­preting that as "the starter and judge" - fulfilling a double role, sending us off from the mark, and welcoming us at the tape. A double role would be nothing foreign to Him who is both GOD and man, who is both High Priest and Victim. Anyhow, in fact, even if not in these words, He is both Starter at the beginning, and Judge at the finish. So Paul is off! THE COURSE OF THE RACE He had not yet finished - "not as though I had already attained" (Php 3:12). Later on, we find him within sight of the tape, and, in glad anticipation, he says, "I have finished my course", 2 Timothy 4:7; but he is not yet there, he has still a long way to go. From the superior manner in which some Christians behave, you might imagine that they had got there - it appears that they have nothing more to experience, nothing more to do, nothing more to learn: they know it all! They remind me of a boy of fourteen, who, explaining why he had left school, told me, "They can’t teach me any more". Perhaps he spoke more truly than he meant - not that he was so full of knowledge, but that he was so dull that they had given it up. He intended the first: I suspected the latter! Our apostle had no such delusions - ­there were gaps yet to be bridged, laps yet to be covered; there were depths of experience yet to be sounded, heights of attainment yet to be achieved, ere the close of the contest. Meanwhile­ he would not stop still - "I follow after" (Php 3:12). It is now almost universally questioned if Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews; but of this there is no question, that he would heartily endorse the sentiment of Hebrews 6:1, "let us go on". He had fully and firmly grasped the fact that conversion was, as we have seen, a starting-place, not a stopping-place. He would have appreciated that, though the seemingly impassable, impossible, Red Sea be in front, the command still holds, "Go forward", Exodus 14:15. There is a place for "Stand still" (Exodus 14:13), but no room for standstill - need for quiet, to get new vision, but only for the purpose of preparation for the resumption of the journey. This race is not just a sprint - a quick, brisk burst of energy, and done with. In that case, many more would have succeeded. It is the distance that has beaten; they could have managed a spurt; but the keeping on keeping on has proved too much for them. Says Hebrews 12:1, it is a long-distance race - "let us run with patience". Says Galatians 5:7, it is an obstacle race - "ye did run well; who did hinder you?" Here, in Paul, is an athlete who will not be hindered, not be stopped, but will "go on unto perfection". He would put everything into it - "This one thing I do" (Php 3:13). There is no "I do" in the Greek, so that the broken sentence recaptures the excitement of the apostle in his prison as, in imagi­nation, his heart is pounding at his ribs, as his feet are pounding on the track. He has one over-mastering passion, to the exclusion of all other interests - to get there, and to get there fast. I will not say, to get there first - because I think that this is not a competitive race. Mark his concentration. "Forgetting those things which are behind" - no race could be successful for a contestant who was continually looking back. Old sins - "their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more", when they are pardoned; why, then, should we be for ever digging them up, and pining for them? Former failures - how discouraging they can be; don’t be for ever doing nothing because you were once doing badly. Learn what lessons your failures can teach you, and then forget them. Past experience - some people are perpetually living on the past; they received a great blessing, perhaps at Keswick, years ago; let GOD be thanked for that; but, alas, these folk never seem to have any fresh, up-to-date blessing to recount. One-time pleasures - that, for whatever reason, they have felt urged to renounce; but they are, so wist­fully, often thinking back to those jolly times of yesteryear. Like Israel of old - "we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: but now . . . there is nothing at all, beside this manna", Numbers 11:5-6. Some Christians, who once were so happy with "this manna", have allowed their appetite for the things of GOD to be spoiled, and now they look back to the old days and pleasures. To all such we would say, "Remember Lot’s wife." Previous successes - these also should be forgotten, for it is ever a temptation to be content with that triumph, to rest on our oars. What a lot of things there are, bad and good, for us to forget! The Psalmist says, "My times are in Thy hand" - leave your past time there; and know that "the best is yet to be." Ponder this, too. "Reaching forth unto those things which are before." Have you ever seen a runner, straining every nerve to maintain, or increase, his speed? There he is, at full stretch! That is the picture here. Grasping every opportunity of service, that he may do all he can for GOD, ere the race is done; seeking to make progress in grace, ever advancing in the things of GOD, that He, our Divine Trainer, may not be disappointed in His proteges; eagerly anxious to step into all the promises of blessing, longing to apprehend all that GOD purposed in apprehending him (Php 3:12). Here is a runner in dead earnest; here is running that makes big demands. The other classic racing passage, Hebrews 12:1-2, gives sound advice to those who would "run well" - amongst other tips, these. (1) "Let us lay aside every weight" - this last is a medical word, making the phrase to mean, "let us get rid of every ounce of superfluous flesh", which is just what an athlete does, training down to the last ounce, or, in spiritual parlance, reducing the "I" to the least minimum, as little of self as must be. (2) "Let us lay aside . . . the sin that doth so easily beset us" - that doth so easily wrap us round. The athlete is careful to throw off everything that he decently dare, so that no vestige of unnecessary clothing shall impede him. How often a Christian’s progress is slowed down by some besetting (wrapping round) habit of sin. (3) "Looking unto Jesus" - not looking back at the past, as we have seen; not looking round at others. Like Peter, "What shall this man do?" and JESUS’ reply, "What is that to thee? follow thou Me", John 21:21-22. Our attention wholly given to Him: what is His will in everything? What will please, and honour Him? All that need be added is the word Paul sent to the Christian athletes of Corinth, 1 Corinthians 9:24, "So run, that ye may obtain", which brings us to -: THE END OF THE RACE "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." The apostle is now looking toward the finish of the contest, the scene at the tape is, in anticipation, before his eyes, those last few yards call out all he has in him. Let us divide up this interesting sentence, and examine it piece by piece. "The mark" - On first thoughts it seems easy to interpret it as referring to the tape at the end of the course, at whose breaking the prize-winner will be known and acclaimed. That is the way in which it has been mostly understood. But let me put to you a suggestion which has been brought to my notice by A. Cochrane, my old friend. In an old commentary of more than a hundred years ago (1839), by a Dr. MacKnight, the following suggestion is offered, "I follow in the course along the mark", and, by way of inter­pretation, it is added, "I run on the marked-out course of faith and holiness." Mr. Cochrane proceeds, "So Paul says, in effect, I am pressing on towards the Prize to be given when the Race is finished and won, and I keep to the marked-out Track, as I must, for the rules must be followed. ’If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully’, 2 Timothy 2:5. It is the only way, and do you follow my example, and that of others, who do as I do. He must keep pressing on along the marked-out Track." A most interesting suggestion. If you have attended an athletic meeting, you will have noticed how the track is marked out with lines for the Hundred Yards, and how each competitor is allotted his lane, and is bound to keep within those two lines of his track. That track is symbolical of the "narrow way", Matthew 7:14, the Way of Faith and Holiness - we cannot go where we like, we must keep to the appointed track, or we become "a castaway", 1 Corinthians 9:27; turned out of the race, not turned out of the family. "The prize" - it is not competitive, for if I get it, the others are not deprived of it, as in an ordinary race, wherein "one receiveth the prize", 1 Corinthians 9:24. In the Christian race, all may receive it if they "so run." Paul doesn’t despise the prize - as some affect to do. These superiors say that they do not race, work, serve for reward. Who does? It is "the love of Christ constraineth us", 2 Corinthians 5:14. But that does not mean that we will think lightly of it, if we are awarded it. Our Lord Himself often, shall I say, recommends it, Luke 19:17; Matthew 25:21. Who am I to despise it? The apostle was not ashamed to go all out for it. Paul doesn’t describe the prize - ­we know that (a) it is not Salvation, being given only to those who have previously got salvation; (b) it is not Heaven, for that is not a prize for our effort, but a gift to our faith. Let us be content to leave it as yet revealed. At least we do know what will be the gracious words that will accompany the presentation - ­those words, all the more heart-warming as coming from His lips, "Well done!" It is always an encouragement to get that bit of praise from anyone, but how incomparable the sweetness when coming from Him. That will be worth all the sacrifice, all the striving, all the strenuousness. GOD help me - help you - ­so to run as to obtain that distinction, Heaven’s medal of the "W.D.": "Well done!" "The High Calling" - I have long felt that this means "the upward calling", and that it refers to the time of our Lord’s return, to call His church up to Himself, as pro­phesied in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. It would appear that it is at this dramatic occasion that the judgment seat of CHRIST - the examination of believers’ records - is to be set up, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, when "reward", and "loss", shall be assessed. I have quite recently discovered that my view of this is not new, as I impudently imagined, but that actually it was held by no less a person than Chrysostom, all those centuries ago, who remarked that "athletes are not crowned in the race ­course below; the king calls them up and there crowns them". At the close of our English football Cup Final, the players of the winning team are called up to receive the Cup, and both teams the medals, from the hands of the Queen, or other High Personage, who has been watching the match from a box above the tiers of seats below. So was it at the Athenian Games, that the Philippians would know so well, that the successful com­petitors were called up to receive their amaranthian crown from their Ruler’s hands. So, we believe, will it be at the time when our Lord returns. Those who have gained the prize will have "the upward calling", to receive from His hands the token of His grace and pleasure, and to hear, His wondrous commendation, "Well done" - perhaps, also, the delighted plaudits of the assembled saints. The Parousia will be our prize-giving! Oh, happy day-if we have "so run". "In Christ Jesus" - yes, again comes the so-oft repeated emphasis, all is from Him, and in Him. It is His grace that gives us the urge, and the chance, to run, as we "enter" the race by the "strait gate"; it is His grace that gives us strength to run, and even guidance to run well; it is His grace that gives us the prize for good running. He was the "Author" - the Starter who sent us off; He is the "Finisher" - the Judge who holds out to us the incorruptible crown at the end. Therefore, as the old hymn invites and incites us­ - "Run the straight race, through GOD’s good grace, Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face. Life, with its way, before us lies, CHRIST is the Path, and CHRIST the Prize." Verily, in Him is our protection, our provision, our progression, and our preoccupation all the way along. Thus, as we saw earlier, we shall run "looking unto Jesus" for everything needful for our Christian athleticism - what more inspiring motto could we have. One further section of the passage now claims our atten­tion. I shall call it­. THE LAGGARDS OF THE RACE Perhaps we might first consider the "thus minded" of verse Php 3:15. Those who share the same mind with Paul on the matters he has been placing before them. He claims for such that they are "perfect". You will notice that he has already used the word in verse Php 3:12 - only, in that verse, he is thinking of final perfection, "not as though I . . . were already perfect", as though he were at the perfected end, he would have no patience with the idea of "sinless perfection" in the present sphere; while, in verse Php 3:15, he is speaking of the perfection of the intermediate stage. Of a little baby child you exclaim, "Isn’t he perfect?" Yes, for his age and stage. You meet a fine, clean, healthy, upstanding fellow, and you remark to your companion, "Isn’t he a perfect specimen of young manhood?" Yes, for his age and stage: but he has a long way to go yet - unless he grows, he will not be counted perfect of adult middle-age. You come across an old gentleman, kindly, unselfish, helpful, wise, sunny - and someone says, "What a perfect old dear." Yes, for his age and stage. Down again on the running-track, final perfection of the sprint is, let us say, one hundred yards in ten seconds. (As a matter of fact the time has been reduced by a decimal point or so; but let us, for the illustration, abide by the ten seconds.) You stand with stop-watch in hand, and you gauge him at ten yards in one second-perfect: not final, but stage, perfection. So he goes on, perfect at each ten yards’ stage; for until, at the end of the hundred yards, he has reached final perfection at ten seconds. So is it with the New Testament, it is relative. When our Lord says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect", Matthew 5:48 - He does not mean that we are expected to attain Divine perfection; but that we are to be perfect in our sphere, and stage, as GOD is in His. If, then, we are to be of such a mind, we shall have to be always at full stretch - no lingering, no loitering, no lagging behind! Now for the "otherwise minded" of verse Php 3:15. These are the laggards of the race. They have not the same mind as Paul about it all; they just don’t agree with him. Why all this hurry and energy? They are in the race - why worry? They expect to get there in the end. It is all very well to be a Christian; but why overdo it? Hold yourself in; don’t make yourself an uncomfortable nuisance to other people - whose unsatisfactory life will be shown up, if you are too religious. Church, yes­ - but no open-air meetings, no tracts, no prayer-meetings, no personal tackling, no narrow-minded taboos. How shall we deal with such laggards? The apostle tells them, "God shall reveal even this unto you" - that is, will show you how well-worth­while the "all-out" Christian life is, and what a mistake they make who "go slow"! Rather, let all His athletes not be con­tent with what they have "already attained" (Php 3:16), but carry on with the same rule, and mind, until the Happy Ending. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 77: 04.12. HEAVEN BELOW - PHP_3:17-21 ======================================================================== Heaven Below - Php 3:17-21 Chapter Twelve A ONE-TIME famous China medical missionary, Dr. Duncan Main, was told that the Chinese equivalent of his name was "Dr. Apricot, of Heaven Below". That second part is, according to our passage, applicable to every Christian - he, she, is of Heaven Below, for "our conversation [our citizenship] is in Heaven" (Php 3:20). It may be our benediction to have the promise fulfilled to us, "That your days may be . . . as the days of Heaven upon the earth," Deuteronomy 11:21. A bit of Heaven here! Note then, to begin with­ - THE CITIZEN LIKENESS In this happy letter, Paul seems to be anxious to teach the readers, not only by plain statements of truth, but by illustrations of the truth, drawn from all quarters of human experience - ­for instance, from the banking world, and from the sporting arena, and now from political life. We recall that Philippi was a Roman Colony, a bit of Rome away from Rome, its citizens were citizens of Rome. In those days of Imperial Rome, it was a thing of enormous pride to be a Roman citizen. After Paul’s Sermon on the Stairs, he escaped scourging by his claim to that exalted citizen rank, and whereas the chief captain said, "With a great sum obtained I this freedom," Paul was privileged to be in a position to say, "But I was free born," Acts 22:28. Cities were sometimes accorded this honour, as well as individuals; and for the cause of Philippi’s proud position I refer you to my note under the "Dwelling-Place of the Christians" in the first Study of this Epistle. How well, then, this city would under­stand the allusion of this apostle. It is interesting to mark, that it was at Philippi that Paul first used his right of Roman citizen­ship, Acts 16:37. Here we are, then, in this world, but not of it, John 17:16. We don’t belong here; we are sojourners and pilgrims just journeying through, "And nightly pitch my moving tent; A day’s march nearer home." for, as another hymn says, so accurately picking up the Scripture allusions, "I am a stranger here, Heaven is my home." Many a Britisher, settled in Australia, still calls England "home". Many a citizen of London is serving somewhere abroad, feeling little "at home" there, is often thinking of the affairs and friends from whom, and from which, he is temporarily separated, and looking forward with keen anticipation to the time when he shall get home to the life and loved ones of his real city and country. So it is written, "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly," Hebrews 11:16, and "he looked for a city which hath foundations [no dream city, figment of imagination; but real, and founded upon glorious fact], whose builder and maker is God", Hebrews 11:10. That city colours all life along the road thitherward. So the Christian is given here the likeness of an absentee citizen. Wherefore consider­ - THE CITIZEN LIFE The apostle has already referred to it when, in Php 1:27, he said, "Only let your conversation [your citizen behavior] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ". The citizen of the swell part must not live a slum life. Much of our present passage is given up, negatively or positively, to an examination of what we should live like. The True Citizens - are in Php 3:17. Don’t miss the point that they are "Brethren . . . together". It was a lovely feature of the first generation of Christians that "all that believed were together", Acts 2:44. There was a grand togetherness - in the faith they held, in the message they proclaimed, in the unity they demonstrated, in the love they practised, in the aim they pursued, in the zeal they showed. Don’t we miss that happy sense of togetherness in the church of this generation? Not looking too far, is this a characteristic of your own particular church - or are there cliques and factions among your members? Is there an aloofness, a coldness there? Is there a warm-hearted, family spirit in the congregation? If not, are you one of the culprits? Your church will never have the richness of blessing that GOD wants you to enjoy unless, and until, you get "to­gether". We are in the Family together: why, then, should there not be an exhibition of the family spirit in a mutual love and unity together. Do you recall how Psalms 133:1 says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Notice how the brief Psalm concludes (Psalms 133:3), "for there the Lord commanded the blessing". Where there is togetherness, there is blessing. Paul now goes on to tell these Philippian believers that Christian citizens are noteworthy for their capacity for following. Citizens of Scotland in Dunedin, New Zealand, will doubtless follow much of the custom of the Old Country - perhaps they still take salt to their porridge? Citizens of London, residing for business purposes in Siam, will follow still some of the characteristic colloquialisms and manner­isms of their cockney source. Citizens of Rome would follow the order and habits and outlook of Imperial Headquarters wherever they were situated. You would recognise a Roman centurion anywhere, even when he was in mufti. So it is with the people we are specially considering here: the Citizen of Heaven should follow heavenly ways. Paul bids his Philippians follow (a) "Me" - does that sound egotistic? I should be surprised if he meant it so. Rather would I think it well to place it alongside of such statements as "Not I, but Christ", in Galatians 2:20; and "Not I, but the grace of God", in 1 Corinthians 15:10. It is only in that spirit of real humility that this man urges his friends to follow. Moreover, he seems immediately to tone it down by recommending them to take (b) "Us" - for an example. Is this just what we call an editorial plural? Perhaps; or, possibly, he is including with himself such people as Timothy, Epaphroditus, and Luke, as fellow-exemplaries. All of these were well known in the Philippian church; and the apostle may well have pointed to them as good examples of the way that citizens should behave. Take note, he says, of other professing Christians, and see if they come up to the standards that these leading believers set. "Mark them which walk" - that sloucher, and that soldier - and pattern your own carriage accordingly; for surely it is the vigour and uprightness of the military way that you will desire to emulate, as is becoming to those who bear the proud title of the Citizen of Heaven. One’s mind goes back to this same Paul on the shipwreck. A fine upstanding Roman centurion is on board with him, bearing himself with pride, even in the midst of the tempest­uous conditions, as the conscious representative of his Emperor. Yet, there is a prouder man there even than Captain Julius, it is Paulos, "little" Paul: listen to him, and catch the tone of pride in his voice, "God, whose I am, and whom I serve," Acts 27:23. Follow "me", he now says, follow "us", who seek to walk as true and keen representatives of our Heavenly Master. It is impossible to leave this theme without recalling what he said of other Christians, that they followed (c) "The Lord" - "ye became followers of us, and of the Lord", 1 Thessalonians 1:6. So close were these leaders to their Lord that, to follow them was, almost automatically, to follow Him. How magnificent a claim could we possibly make it? That if they followed us, they would, ipso facto, be following the Lord? The False Citizens - are in Php 3:18-19. (a) Their profession - ­was evidently that they were Christians; but they were not true, not sincere; indeed, they were "enemies" in disguise. Open enemies, scorners, are bad enough; but I feel sure that they do less harm to the cause of CHRIST than those who pretend to be on His side, who for some material, or social, gain masquerade as believers, while all the while despising the whole business. "Wolves in sheep’s clothing", our Lord described them. Dogs and pigs pretending to be sheep; but, sooner or later, proved by their backsliding to have been never sheep at all. says 2 Peter 2:22. What damage such people do to the Lord’s name and honour people of the world take them at their own estimation, and when their conduct contradicts their profession, when they are thus "found out", the worldlings say that all these Christians are hypocrites and their religion is no earthly use. They fail to differentiate between the False Citizens and the True Citizens. (b) Their end - Their "end is destruction." Alas, they have turned many away from the faith because of their behaviour. Many who might have joined us on the Narrow Way have been discouraged, and have elected to remain with the majority, Matthew 7:13, on their sad way to destruction. Now these false friends themselves traverse the dark road to their proper end, even as Judas went "to his own place", Acts 1:25. What a false citizen that man was! (c) Their god - Their "god is their belly." While most eat to live, these live to eat. To satisfy their physical appetite, and, indeed, their sensual, lustful appetite, is all they care for, After all, your "god" is the thing, or person, that comes first in your thoughts, that you most want to please; and the belted portion of their anatomy occupies the place of a deity with quite a number of folk. These here are among these worshippers. F. B. Meyer told the story of a man of wealth who was taking his friend round his magnificent mansion, in which a spacious chamber was dedicated to be a chapel. The visitor, who thought of little else than good living, on entering the chapel, said, "What a magnificent kitchen this would make." Whereupon his host replied, "You are mistaken, this is not a kitchen; when I have made my belly my god, then I will make my chapel my kitchen, but not before." Applying the story to "many" whose one thought is food and drink, Dr. Meyer’s comment was, "There is no chapel in their life, it is all kitchen." (d) Their shame­ - "whose glory is in their shame." That is, they glory in things of which they ought to be ashamed. As Plummer puts it, "their boasted liberty was shameful slavery to lust." There are in every age, perhaps in every country, those who wickedly make game of shame. Such people swarmed in parts of Rome, from which Paul was writing. It is not to be necessarily implied that persons described in these verses Php 3:18-19 were to be found in the ranks of this Philippian church, though it might be true in Rome, Romans 1:21-32. The apostle is only concerned to warn his friends because corruption, like dry rot, has an extraordinary quality of spreading; and, as a Latin author put it, "The corruption of the best is the worst." Let all Christians beware: "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (e) Their mind - "who mind earthly things". Like John Bunyan’s Man with a Muck-rake - quite unconscious of the heavenly messenger holding over his head a golden crown, because his eyes are on the ground, completely occupied with the menial task of sweeping together the refuse about him. If these of our verse were truly Citizens of Heaven, their minds would have been set on heavenly things. "If ye then be risen with CHRIST, [The ’if’ does not imply any doubt. The Greek construction simply means ’Since ye then . . .’] seek those things which are above . . . set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth", Colossians 3:1-2. What a terrible indictment of human beings - indeed, of pro­fessing, though not real, Christians. Paul feels that, in the case of these Philippians, who have only recently come out of impure heathendom, the danger of infection was very real. So he has told them about it "often", and withal "weeping" (Php 3:18). The Cross meant so much to Paul; and it moves him to tears that those renegades have so far demeaned themselves as to become "the enemies of the Cross of CHRIST" - not merely of it, but of Him. Thomas Kelly was moved to write­ - "We sing the praise of Him who died, Of Him who died upon the cross, The sinner’s refuge here below, The angel’s theme in Heaven above." It was more than the deeply emotional apostle could stand to think of people speaking ill of that, and of Him, he held so dear. What does the Cross, the crucified Lord, mean to us? We speak not just now of its eternal meanings, of its mighty victories - but of the sheer love there displayed for such undeserving sinners. Shall we let that love now lead us on to speak of­ - THE CITIZEN’S LORD As all Roman citizens owed obedience, loyalty, and allegiance to their Emperor, so do the Heavenly citizens owe the same to Heaven’s Lord. This JESUS was "born... Saviour", Luke 2:11 - and we have [have we?] accepted Him as our Saviour. He was also said to have been "born King", Matthew 2:2 - have we acclaimed Him as our King? Does He actually rule over everything? "If you do not crown Him Lord of all, You do not really crown Him Lord at all." That is true, isn’t it? Think it out. Put it right. Keep it up. Let us dwell upon the happy thought of our glorified, and glorious, Lord. And first of (a) His Coming Return - "from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Php 3:20). Yes, He is not only "a Saviour", Luke 2:11; but, as here, "the Saviour", the only one, "there is none other . . . whereby we must be saved", Acts 4:12; can you go further and say, "My Saviour", Luke 1:47? Again I press the matter upon you, lest, if His return be near, His coming should find you unprepared to meet Him. Do I seem to detect nowadays, in most unex­pected quarters, a newly awakened interest, and even belief, in the Second Advent? Thank GOD if it be so. Certainly that would happily correspond with the striking emphasis on the subject that we find in the Bible - for, with the one exception of the Atonement, there is no other theme that is so often referred to in Scripture. It ill becomes any citizen, therefore, to omit it from his consideration. What a thrill it would be if, for instance, it were announced to these Philippian Roman citizens that the Caesar was planning to pay them a visit. Imagine how the streets would be cleaned, the houses decorated, the people prepared. That is what, in joyous reality, is going to happen to those who dwell in Heaven Below - our Saviour, King and Lord is actually coming again. Such is "that blessed [happy] hope" of which Paul writes to Titus (Titus 2:13). It is an interesting gram­matical point that, in our twentieth verse, while "Heaven" is in the plural, "the Heavens", "whence", for "which", is in the singular - denoting, perhaps, a specific point in the Heavens: might it be the city gate? Ye earth-wide citizens, keep your eyes often on that gate, through which He entered in ascension glory, Hebrews 9:24, and from which He will one day emerge in advent glory. Says one commentator, "Oh! When will those pearly gates open? When will that cavalcade issue forth? When through the dim haze will the Lord come, riding upon His white horse, and followed by the army of Heaven?" What a hope; what a day; what a scene, what a triumph; what a joy! Oh that, being unafraid, and unashamed, we may be happily ready to join in the welcome to the Returning King. There is next to be considered (b) His Transforming Grace - ­"who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body" (Php 3:21). What amazing changes His advent will bring about. - Changes in world government - "Behold, a King [the coming King] shall reign in righteousness", Isaiah 32:1; - Changes in geographical contour - "His feet shall stand in that Day [the coming Day] upon the Mount of Olives... and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst . . . and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south . . . And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem . . . And the Lord shall be King over all the earth" Zechariah 14:4; Zechariah 14:8-9; - Changes in animal characteristic - "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together . . . and the cow and the bear shall feed . . . and the lion shall eat straw like the ox . . . they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain", Isaiah 11:6-7; Isaiah 11:9; - Changes in personal character - "we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is", 1 John 3:2, one of the most amazing changes of all; - Changes in human bodies - are the particular alterations here under review. "Our vile body" - the adjective does not really bear the significance that we attach to it to-day: "the body of our humiliation" is much the idea - says Lightfoot, "the body which we bear in our present low estate, which is exposed to all the passions, sufferings, and indignities of this life." This body of ours, then, beset with limitations, nerves, injuries, is, at His Coming to be completely transformed to be like "His glorious body." Remember the body of His Transfiguration splendour, the body of His Resurrection wonder, the body of His Ascension beauty - what glory! And my body is to be something, somehow, like that. Amazing! A more detailed examination of the marvel is given in I Corinthians 15. So we come to (c) His Almighty Power - "according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (21). - "Able to save", says Hebrews 7:25. - "Able to succour", says Hebrews 2:18. - "Able... to subdue", says the verse here. Indeed, there is no limit to what He is able to do for us. Things that can’t be can be, if He is there. Look at the Bible Home of Incurables, Mark 5. The men’s ward contains that poor hopeless, helpless man, Legion - "no man could bind him . . . neither could any man tame him." Until the Good Physician enters the ward: then the impossible cure is wrought! The women’s ward has a poor, distressed soul - "suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." Twelve years already she had suffered. Must she go on like that: can nothing be done for her? Nothing! Until He enters, to work the miracle. The children’s ward shows us a pathetic case: the little person might have been healed but for the delay in the women’s ward. Alas, now she’s gone, "thy daughter is dead" - beyond all aid. All aid? No, not His - for when He enters the mighty deed is done. Tell me, has sin got such a hold of you that yours is a hopeless case? The devil is strong, but JESUS is stronger ­ "Satan to JESUS must bow." Tell me, are you finding life intolerable - so full of difficulty, distress, disappointment? He is able to subdue that life of yours, so that though you feel like old Jacob, If "all these things are against me," Genesis 42:36, you yet shall see that "all things work together for good to them that love God", Romans 8:28. The citizen’s Lord is an almighty Lord, able to subdue their lives, their wills, their circumstances, their bodies, their all­ until the blessed day when all the joy of their citizenship shall be finally released, and fully released, in their Homecoming. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 78: 04.13. A FLY IN THE OINTMENT - PHP_4:1-3 ======================================================================== A Fly in the Ointment - Php 4:1-3 Chaper Thirteen THIS passage for our present Study is a very short one, but it is none the less important on that account. So often the little things of Scripture turn out to be big in value. That little word "so for instance - one of the unfathomed words in the Bible: "God so loved. . .", John 3:16 : how deep, how high, how wide, how long is that "so"? That little verse, John 11:35, "Jesus wept"; how expressive of His tender compassion concerning the affairs of His friend. - That little book Haggai, with its needful message on Work; - or Philemon, with its word to Management and Labour; - or III John, and its dissertation on "How do you do?" - That little man, Zacchaeus, so wondrously converted. Yes, the Bible’s little things have a strange way of suggesting the arresting quality of bigness. So we turn to our brief portion, feeling sure that blessedness will be found there. Let us confine our first attention to the first verse; and for all its sweetness, let us give to it the title of­ THE ODOUR OF THE OINTMENT We recall at once the lovely incident in the Gospels, one of whose beautiful influences was that "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment", John 12:3. There is a like refreshing fragrance in our first verse. This precious nard is compounded of a number of sweet-smelling ingredients - some of which have already claimed our attention. "Therefore" - sending us back to the conclusion of the previous chapter, with its reminder of the all-sufficiency of the power of GOD. How reassuring it is to know that, as the base and basis of this mixture of mercy, we have this strong and all-permeating essence of His might. The scent of it, even by itself, has revived the spirits of many a fast-fainting soul, that from the depths of despondency has been brought back to take on, as it were, a new lease of life. Its detected presence has spurred on many a CHRIST’S warrior with a spirit of battle and an assurance of victory. Power: that is what every earnest Christian is seeking for. His Power: that is what will prove adequate to the answering of every call made upon us. In this Philippian church, a situation has arisen which has so far baffled all attempts to settle it. In all Christian ages, and circles, we find the same problem, equally obstinate of solution; but let us all be quite certain that, as we saw last Study, nothing is beyond the power of GOD. And to the expectant, obedient, soul there comes again and again the old promise, "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you", Acts 1:8 : - power for witness, - power for consistency, - power for understanding, - power for ministry - power for enthusiasm, - power for holiness. I thank GOD that this "therefore" is present as the very foundation of this unguent. "My brethren" - Paul meant what he said. It is so easy to use the term formally, for a man to call another Christian "brother", for a minister to address his congregation as "Dearly beloved brethren" - it may be the expression of his real feeling, but it may be sheer, cold, meaningless phraseology. On Paul’s lips, as he dictated it to his stenographer, it was real. His chained companion of a Roman soldier would, of course, overhear, and perhaps would wonder at the evident feeling that his prisoner put into his use of the common word. You would imagine that they really were his brothers - as they really were! For writer and readers were members of a family; they rejoiced in one Father, and were, therefore, each, brother or sister. It is good to recognise in the make-up of the ointment this delightful component of the Family spirit. Yet, I fancy that this word "brethren" carried for Paul a scent of memory, whose fragrance would never die. Years before he had been a cruel and fanatical persecutor of the Christian faith, till he was "apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Php 3:12). Blind, alone, dejected, in his Damascus lodging, he was granted a vision of a man coming in to minister to his utter need. What manner of attitude would this Ananias adopt? Only one was possible in the estimation of this now stricken man - cold, stiff, aloof, revengeful. Saul of Tarsus would know that he deserved it all. And now, at the knock admitting the visitor, the erstwhile persecutor expects the worst; but Ananias, crossing the room to where the blind man sat, put his hand on him, Acts 9:17, and said, "Brother Saul . . ." Brother? It would almost break the heart of this deeply emotional man. Brother, Brother - he called me Brother! I suspect that, from that moment it became for him a sacred word; and when he called others brothers, this was, at least, part of the reason why his use of the name was invested with such sincere meaning. Do we, I wonder, think of, and treat, our fellow-Christians as real brothers and sisters in CHRIST? The unbrotherly behaviour of some of us is a scandal to faith, and a denial of citizenship - such is not known in Heaven Above, why, then, in Heaven Below? "Dearly beloved" - two doses of it, you observe, in this odoriferous ointment of a verse; and strong doses at that. Not merely love, but dear love! This is something deeper than brotherliness. Do you recall Peter’s Ladder of Christian Character, in 2 Peter 1:5-7, how we are bidden to ascend rung by rung, thus to "add to" one quality the attain­ment of the next, beginning, of course, with the step of "faith"? When we are almost at the top he says, "And to godliness, brotherly kindness." But we are, even yet, not at the end of the climb; here it is, "And to brotherly kindness, charity (love)." Yes, I said that love was something deeper than brotherliness - I must add, something higher! There may be faults and foibles in our brother (as there are in us!), but love can understand, and overlook - love "thinketh no evil" of his brother, 1 Corinthians 13:5. No ointment of behaviour is "up to proof" unless it have in it a goodly infusion of up-to-standard love. As we said in an earlier Study, Oh, for a baptism of first­-century love upon the twentieth-century church. Paul had it, as we see, in full measure. "My joy and crown" - the first, for the present; the second, for the future. What delightful perfume of personal appreciation is here added to the compound. Paul was always ready, even quick, to recognise and acknowledge the good in those to whom he wrote, even if there was much in them to reprove; but to none did he pay such glowing tribute as to these at Philippi, in whom, indeed, he found so little cause for dissatisfaction, or reprimand. They were, almost without exception, such a "joy" to him, as he thought of them, prayed for them, wrote to them. And one day they, with others, would prove a "crown" to all his endeavour - not the "diadema" crown of royalty, but the "stephanos" crown of victory. Have you got a crown coming to you: some whom you have won to CHRIST? What a joy here; what glory hereafter. "Stand fast" - the temptation is to give way. The pressure of a heathen city is very strongly, and very seductively, anti-­Christian; the threat of fierce persecution is even, in those days, to be expected; the not unnatural tendency to a drop in the temperature of their zeal, owing to the absence of their leader, who meant so much to them, Php 2:12. These, and other things, might so easily, if they are off their guard, lure them to backsliding. There is no sign of it, so far, in that happy-spirited assembly of GOD’s people; but it is always salutary to have warning. "I will thank the Lord for giving me warning", says the Psalmist. So this astringent ingredient is included in this prescription. The man of mercury, for ever up and down, in and out, will not be a happy Christian, neither will he be a dependable person in the cause of GOD. As we saw earlier, the Christian race calls for stickers, not sprinters. The satisfactory spiritual life is not governed by the prevailing fashion - he is no chameleon - nor by fears, nor by feelings, but by faith - a whole-hearted trust and reliance, as becomes citizens of a heavenly kingdom. That kingdom will be poorly served by those who, in Meyer’s phrases, are "now like a seraph flashing with zeal, now like a snail crawling in lethargy". So stand fast. Remember the word that CHRIST spoke to one of the earliest of His disciples - "Thou art Simon . . . thou shalt be called Cephas . . . a stone", John 1:42. May we, too, be transformed (if need be) from the Simon of shifting sand into the Peter of resisting rock. "In the Lord" - ah, there is the secret of steadfastness: "rooted . . . in Him", as Colossians 2:7 says. See that great, towering oak. It began its life as a little acorn, shooting down its little rootlet, sending up its tiny spikelet, and gradually, as it grew, taking firmer hold of mother earth, daily giving evidence of its increasing strength, till it becomes the mighty tree before your eyes. How can it so splendidly stand fast? It is all in the hold. Not just in the tree’s hold of the earth, but principally, primarily, in the earth’s hold of the tree. In other words, it is not We, but He! So, to complete the ointment, goes in this oil of dependence on the Lord, binding together all the qualities that constitute its make-up - the brotherliness, the love, the joy, the steadfastness: all are ours, as we are in Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you," John 15:4. But now, alas­ THE OFFENCE OF THE FLY This Php 4:2 is such a sad, and bad, contrast to what we have been considering thus far. Two women! Ah, but they were not the only women in the Philippian church - there was Lydia, Acts 16:14; Acts 16:40, with her quiet acceptance of the Lord JESUS, and her consistent Christian kindliness, sympathy, and hospitality. I wonder how the Church would have got on without its godly women - the sons they have trained for her, the services they have rendered for her, the songs they have written for her, the supplications they have offered for her: - from Eunice’s training of Timothy, 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15; - from Tabitha’s originating of the Dorcas meeting, Acts 9:36; - from Mary’s song of Magnificat, Luke 1:46; - from the women’s joining in the Upper Room prayer-meeting, Acts 1:14; from these onward, the Church has owed a debt she can never adequately repay for all her women’s sacrifices, service, and sympathy. Here, alas, are two ladies that have fallen out. The pity is that they are evidently women of standing and influence; and certainly they have both been very earnest and energetic in the work, "women which laboured with me in the gospel" (Php 4:3), as Paul testified. And now, comic in Satan’s eyes, tragic in ours, they are quarrelling. As likely as not it will be over some trifling thing - one being preferred rather than the other; one assuming a position supposed to belong to the other; and so, the one thinking hardly of the other, and the other speaking harshly to the one. Each imagines the other to be in the wrong - of course, they both are. They are Christians, if you please, prominent Christians; a sad pair, this Euodias and Syntyche. They are ruining their own happiness, spoiling the Church’s gladness, adding to the devil’s joy. And they won’t make it up! They won’t kiss and be friends, as Christian ladies should. Mind you, it is not always the women that are thus doing such damage to the Church’s blessing and witness. Just as often the culprits are to be found among the men of the congregation, the Mr. Euodias and Mr. Syntyches of the company. Two office-bearers who won’t speak to each other - sidesmen who can’t stand one another - deacons who bear each other a grudge. Perhaps they don’t realise that the quarrel is not just between each other, but is a controversy of each together with GOD - and His blessing is being held up accordingly: not they only suffer, but the whole congregation and Church likewise. And they won’t make it up! They won’t shake hands and be friends, as Christian gentlemen should. Now Paul makes a strong appeal to them, "I beseech"; for he knows what harm they are doing by their unseemly wrangle. We don’t know what success he had; we can only hope that he was able to bring them to "the same mind", that whether it were some general disagreement, or some personal grievance, they came to think alike. Of course, that could only come to pass if one all-embracing secret be embraced, if they settle the thing "in the Lord" - there it is again! They would be likely to arrive at a common understanding, the same mind, if only they would view the matter as in His eyes. Writing to another company of believers, the apostle says, "We have the mind of Christ", 1 Corinthians 2:16. Ah yes, if each of these two ladies had the mind of CHRIST, they would have the same mind. Simple, isn’t it? Most of our personal problems are easily solved "in the Lord". The company of the Church is like to a wheel, whose rim is the circumference of the faith in which all the members are embraced. Those members are the spokes; and if any of them be broken, or get out of place, the strength of the wheel is affected. If, however, all is well, it is found that the nearer they get to the axle, the nearer they get to one another. That axle is CHRIST, and "in Him" the members discover their unity, and the welfare of the whole community. Take heed, ye estranged ladies, or gentlemen; and take heart, ye troubled Church. For you have your part to play in bringing about this happy solution. THE OBLIGATION OF THE OTHERS There is an interesting change of word used here, in Php 4:3. To the ladies, Paul used a word for "beseech" which almost amounted to a command; to these others, the word translated "intreat" asks, as of a friend, a favour. Will these who are now addressed take up this problem as a matter of personal obligation? The quarrel of any two members of a church really should be a concern to the others - we are to try to "help those" who are estranged to come to that "same mind" we spoke of. - It will need courage, often; - it will call for infinite tact; - it will most certainly require prayer, much prayer; and, make careful note of this, - it must be attempted in no spirit of superiority, or condemnation, but in a real spirit of love. With these, perchance, the reconciliation may be brought about. But we ourselves must be "in the Lord", in harmony with His mind. Who are these people here addressed? "True yokefellow" - who is he? We do not know; but all kinds of suggestion have been made. The great New Testament scholar, Professor Ramsay thinks it may have been Luke. Others have ventured the opinion that it was Barnabas, Timothy, Silas. There was an early belief that it was the apostle’s wife; but surely 1 Corinthians 7:8 means that he was either a bachelor, or a widower; and, in any case, surely if he were referring to a wife, he would at least be careful to make the "yoke-fellow" a feminine word, not masculine, as we have it. The same objection applies to Renau’s suggestion that it was Lydia. No - if we have got to cast a vote we shall follow Lightfoot, and name Epaphroditus as the person, who is to carry the letter, and is here urged to use whatever influence he may be able to exert to get the parties to agree. But nothing is anything more than mere conjecture. The bishop’s chief reason for choosing Paul’s postman is that "in his case alone there would be no risk of making the reference unintelligible by the suppression of the name". And then, "with Clement also", apparently a Christian gentleman, residing at Philippi, who might be supposed to carry some weight when tackling these difficult ladies. There seems little to connect him with the famous early bishop of that name - the only point is that his Letter to the Corinthians was written to heal a feud in a distant but friendly church. We are indebted here again to Bishop Lightfoot. No, he was "Clement of Rome"; this was "Clement" of Philippi. "With other my fellow labourers" - Paul was anxious to enlist the aid of all that he could lay hands on to try to heal the breach - anyone, anything, so long as the scandal is silenced. Such importance does he attach, and that we should attach, to the squalls and squabbles of church members. And, as Paul closes the paragraph, he gathers all these Christian believers, yes, including Euodias and Syntyche, within the embrace of a truly wonderful and beautiful phrase and fact - "whose names are in the book of life." The Old Testament references to such a book are very striking - for instance, Exodus 32:32; Psalms 69:28; Psalms 139:16; Daniel 12:1; and when we come over into the New Testament, we find, in the Apocalypse, frequent mention of it - Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:19. Such continuous allusion would suggest that there is something more than mere metaphor here, that there is some substantial fact indicated, some record of names and personalities, inclusion in whose list is eternal joy, and omission eternal woe. Would you like to have a peep at its pages; or would you be too apprehensive, lest your name were not there? Some of you will recollect your Final Examination at college, and how the list of passes was posted on the board. You can recapture even now the feeling of dread which prevented you looking, lest your name did not appear. You besought someone else to tell you. Listen! If you are a real believer you need have no such qualms and fears concerning this record of Heaven’s graduates. Revelation 21:27 says it is "the Lamb’s book of life". Its lists are composed of the names of those who, by faith, have savingly beheld "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world", John 1:29. Inclusion in that Book depends on worth - ­not our worth, but His. In the old days of France they used to have a record book, something like our own Doomsday Book. In it was recorded a note of the taxes due from each city, town, and village - a page for a place. At the page assigned to the little village of Domremy, there was the list to be paid by it to the government. But across the page, written in red ink, and of course, in French, were the words, "Taxes remitted for the Maid’s sake". Joan of Arc, the maid of Orleans, was born there, and one of the marks of a, then, grateful government, for her military triumph against the invading English, was to honour her native village with this remission in perpetuity. I see a vision of other "books", Revelation 20:12. If you could open the volume devoted to the record of my unworthy life, you would find across its pages, written in red, as if with the Blood of JESUS Himself, the words, "Sins... forgiven for His Name’s sake", 1 John 2:12. Continuing in the metaphor of that Revelation verse, I note that, at that Great White Throne, "the books were opened . . . the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works". Not my book; nor yours, if you are a true believer. For when those Red Words cancelled out our "debts", Matthew 6:12, that book was closed for ever, and our names were transferred and inscribed in "another book [which] was opened, which is the book of life." We are not there to come up for judgment! What joy is ours, and what glad thanksgiving. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 79: 04.14. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT - PHP_4:4-9 ======================================================================== One Hundred Percent - Php 4:4-9 Chapter Fourteen SOME of us Christians are only half-and-half; others are out-and-­out. Some are "A.1"; others are "C.3". Travellers on the Gospel Train can choose which Class they go to Heaven by:­ Third Class, which means, CHRIST present; Second Class, which means CHRIST prominent; or First Class, which means CHRIST pre-eminent, Colossians 1:18. Paul is out for the best; he is all in favour of the first class; he wants his Philippian converts to be 100 per cent Christians. So he sets before them, and us, a fourfold ideal of spiritual life. Can it be achieved? Or, is it too much to expect? Well, let us study it carefully, and see. UNFAILING JOY "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice" (Php 4:4). Joy, more Joy, much Joy - yes; but unfailing joy? Let us remind ourselves that this is outstandingly the Epistle of Joy - ­the word "Rejoice" comes no less than eleven times in these four chapters; and, in addition, the word "Joy" occurs five times. To have such repetition within so small a compass surely gives the tone and tendency of the whole. The writer is not just quoting from a book, nor repeating what someone else has said; he has himself this joy in his own heart, and that, be it remem­bered, in spite of (a) his fetters - chained by the wrist all the time to the Roman soldier, who would be amazed at his prisoner’s exuberance of spirit, and that he seemed to expect that everybody holding his religious beliefs should be uniformly happy, judging from the things he was dictating in his letter to Philippian Christians. Moreover, his joy was there in spite of (b) his future - he was awaiting trial, and knew not how things would go, (Php 2:23); but whether this, or that, he would "count it all joy", James 1:2. It had been the same when he was actually with them in Philippi. Observe him, with Silas, his back torn and bleeding, his limbs chained to the dank wall of the filthy inner prison. Now we shall see! He said "alway" - was he talking rhetoric, or reality? Listen, "at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God", Acts 16:25. Ah yes, for him "alway" may stand. We would not allow any man to say "Rejoice alway" to us, who had himself known nothing but sunshine; but we’ll take it from this man Paul. Do you remember, also, how our Lord, in the Upper Room, facing the awful realities of the cup of Gethsemane, the chastisement of Gabbatha, and the cross of Golgotha, yet speaks of "My joy", John 15:11. It seems that with the song of joy in our hearts we may move happily along the road of life. "There are in this loud, stunning tide Of human care and crime, With whom the melodies abide Of the everlasting chime; Who carry music in their heart, Through dusty lane and wrangling mart, Plying their daily task with busier feet Because their secret souls some holy strain repeat." So wrote John Keble for "St. Matthew’s Day", and how happily appropriate for every day. How great an evangelistic force is this quality of joy - to let the world see and know that there is a fount of joy persisting through the strains and sorrows of life. Gloom is the word that too often we allow the unbeliever to associate with our religion: may we help them to find gladness there instead. We are not to confuse this quality with mere boisterous hilarity. As Paul’s friend Seneca once said, "True joy is a serene and sober motion, and they are miserably out that take laughing for rejoicing." Rejoice in our gifts, our friends, our interests: yes, but even if we lose them all, we may Rejoice "in the Lord" - He is Himself the source of gladness, as of all blessing, as this Epistle is constantly reminding us. UNENDING SELFLESSNESS "Let your moderation be known unto all men" (Php 4:5). This "moderation" carries with it the same meaning as "forbearance", or "yieldingness". The Christian art of giving way. Not on principles - one recalls this very apostle writing about the troublesome Judaisers, "to whom we gave place . . . no, not for an hour", Galatians 2:5; there are some in the Church who are prepared to give everything away for the sake of peace; by all means, so far as we can, but we must not sacrifice principles. But let us be ready to give up: - our rights - if, as Christians, we have any; - our pleasures - if they should be a cause of harm to others; - our preferences - if we can thus be a help to someone else. What a difference it would have made if Euodias and Syntyche had displayed this spirit of yieldingness. "Unto all men" - some to whom we are attracted, it would be easy to yield to them, but "all"? Though Christians, we are yet human! Ah but, "the Lord is at hand" (Php 4:5) - therein lies the possibility of the hundred per cent. The phrase does not, I think, here refer to our Lord’s Second Coming and its near approach. The apostle is an ardent exponent of that theme elsewhere, but not in this verse. Paul means that his Lord is near by him, with all that His close presence brings. In that prison room were four: - Epaphroditus, to whom he was dictating the letter: it was a comfort to have him near; - the soldier, so near that the apostle was chained to him by the wrist with a chain of steel, embarrassingly near; - but Another was nearer still, bound to him with a chain of love - the Lord was at hand, at that same hand as the Roman was. So would Paul find a secret of yieldingness, even to the whims of his irksome companion; and so would he impress upon us all the duty, and the possibility, of this truly Christian characteristic. We call to mind his saying in Php 4:5 of his exquisitely beautiful 1 Corinthians 13:1-18, that "[love] seeketh not her own." UNRUFFLED PEACE "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Php 4:7). There is a peace which is quite understandable - when the sun is shining, with friends, and comforts, and health, and wealth. This is something so different from that. It is variously described (a) As a legacy - "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you", John 14:27. Such is a clause in the Master’s Last Will and Testament, given on the night before He died. (b) As a fruit - "the fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace," Galatians 5:22. One of the nine trees in His lovely orchard, whose gates are freely open to His people. (c) As a garrison - "shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". Shall "garrison", is the word: a heavenly sentinel challenging the approach of anything that would worry your mind, or disturb your heart. How attractive is this quality of peace in this troubled world, and how effective in the experience of those who know where to find it. As with "My joy", so now with "My peace", we marvel that our Lord was able to speak thus in the face of all that immediately confronted Him. The secret lies not with ourselves, but with Him. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace [one hundred per cent] whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee", Isaiah 26:3. I said it is not with ourselves to manufacture this infinitely desirable boon; yet there are preliminary steps towards it that we alone can take. Careful for nothing - "be careful for nothing" (Php 4:6). Not wrongfully, distrustfully anxious about things. You are His? Then all your concerns are His care, 1 Peter 5:7. There is a very illuminat­ing "therefore" in Matthew 6:25. Our Lord has, in the previous verse, been talking about slavery - to "serve" means to "be a slave" - and He goes on to stress that because we are His slaves, "therefore" all our needs are His responsibility, and we need not be anxious. We enlarged upon the theme in our opening chapter, and need not particularise now - but the fact bears repetition! Prayerful for everything - "in everything by prayer and supplication . . . let your requests be made known unto God" (Php 4:6). "What a privilege to carry everything to GOD in prayer", as the old hymn says. When difficulties and distresses surround us, how it ministers towards peace to bring it all before Him in prayer. Three different words are used in the Greek of this verse for prayer. The word translated "prayer" is what we may call, Prayer in General. A talking with GOD, quite naturally, about everything - smiling to Him in joy; confiding in Him in sorrow; looking to Him for direction; talking over with Him the details of daily life. May we all learn thus to live in the spirit of prayer. The word for "suppli­cation" may be held to represent, Prayer in Particular. The taking to Him of some specific matter, subject, event, person - ­whether we intercede alone, or whether "two of you shall agree", or whether "prayer is made of the Church", as a whole, Acts 12:5. There is a third word here, rendered "requests", which we may be allowed to think of as indicating Prayer in Detail. GOD is, so to say, interested in the Telescopic view, things afar, things at large. He is also interested in the Micro­scopic view, things near by, things minute - the details. Shall we put it, by way of illustration: the Concert as a whole; the Programme in particular; the Items in detail. Or, the Men’s Meeting in general; the one Man in particular; the Many needs he has in detail. We think of George Muller’s life of Prayer in general, the Orphanage in particular, the Children’s welfare in detail. Thus are we for ever encouraged to bring to GOD the big things, and the little things of life. How powerfully it all con­tributes to peace and poise. Thankful for anything - "with thanksgiving" (Php 4:6). It is remarkable how remiss we Christians often are about this. It is surely bad manners, to say the least, that we receive so much at GOD’s hands without so much as a "Thank You". We teach our children better than that; and yet we children of GOD so sadly forget ourselves. A famous hymn tells us to "Count your blessings; name them one by one" - but how long a time it would take us to total the tally of them. Our positive blessings, so numerous; our negative blessings, no less - for remember that every misery we haven’t got is a mercy we have got. Well, I cannot help feeling that a thankful spirit is a practical contributor to peace. In fact, all these three things are preparatory to this composed state of mind which the hundred per cent Christian covets earnestly. Having recited them seriatim, the apostle proceeds, "and the peace of God . . . shall . . ." You may say, "You don’t know what you are talking about" - perhaps not; but Paul did. Besides, this is the HOLY SPIRIT inspiring, speaking through him; and He doesn’t mock people. He promises this unruffled calm, because it is a possible experience. In the face of all the anxieties and perplexities of the hour, in spite of all the sorrow, and sickness, and even suffering that may visit your own home - peace? You can’t understand it? No, neither did Paul, for it is a "peace... which passeth all under­standing". Here it is, then, for our trustful acceptance, whatever the conditions and circumstances - "perfect peace, and at such a time", Ezra 7:12. UNBLEMISHED LIFE To "think" right (Php 4:8), and to "do" right (Php 4:9). These comprise the whole of life, and to have these twin-springs pure and sweet is to have the character unsullied, or as James 1:27 would say, "to keep himself unspotted from the world". We will here begin with the Thought life - a strategic point in all being. The apostle does not stay to deal with evil thoughts. Some of our present-day psychologists are, in this particular, almost akin to Keswick teaching and New Testament doctrine; for these are now saying that if we wish to subdue and conquer evil thoughts, we must, on no account, try to fight them, and thus devote our attention to them. That, these say (and, please, I am speaking only of some), is asking for trouble, and will only aggravate their lure. Paul, then, by the HOLY SPIRIT made wise before his time, urges his readers to take the positive line, and to cultivate the good thoughts. He mentions eight things on which the mind may well concentrate. "True" - probably not in the sense of truth, as of "reality". Paul uses the same Greek word, in the Christian’s armour, of being "girt about with truth", Ephesians 6:14, where, I think, the same idea is in mind. The first thing a Roman soldier does when buckling on his armour is to girdle up his ordinary garment and thus prepare for the fixing of his arbitraments. He cannot wear them without that. Neither can the Christian soldier wear his unless, and until, he is a Christian in reality - only then is he properly caparisoned with the whole panoply of GOD. "Honest" - a difficult word is used, and many renderings have been suggested. I surmise that "honourable" is the likeliest meaning here. "Just" - not merely just in the ordinary, human sense, but "righteous" as in the eyes of GOD. "Pure" - Lightfoot suggests "stainless". Some thoughts leave a stain, which is difficult enough to erase. "Lovely" - wholly "admirable", having an innate beauty, all their own. "Of good report" - the idea of this word seems to be "winsome", having a quality well-reputed, so that such things win not only the approbation but the application of others. "Virtue" - the word so translated is used in 2 Peter 1:5, "add to your faith virtue . . .", where I would venture the suggestion that, if not the meaning, at least the significance, of the word is "consistency"; and, greatly presuming, I would offer the same rendering here. "Praise" - we may put it as "praise­worthy", primarily here, in the estimation of men, but we can go beyond that to the reckoning of GOD. Well, there they are - how purifying, how stimulating, will the dwelling upon such things be. But there is an old saying that "you can’t prevent a bird flying over your head, but you can prevent it making a nest in your hair". So it is with evil thoughts. To take the positive line that Paul here wages will certainly reduce the coming of these unworthy things; but, when all is said and done, you will find such an enemy aeroplane slipping through occasionally. It is not wrong if they come; it is only wrong if you harbour them. What shall be done with those stray thoughts of evil, or these wandering thoughts that invade and invalidate even your prayer-time? The answer is, act the policeman; which I will explain by referring you to 2 Corinthians 10:5, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ". If a policeman saw a man unlaw­fully trying to enter a house, he would promptly arrest him in the name of the Queen. That’s it! When that unlawful thought seeks to enter, act instantly, arrest it in the Name of the King - ­"captivity . . . to the obedience of Christ". We must turn now, in our consideration of the hundred-per­ cent Christian experience to say something about the Active life - this "do" of verse Php 4:9. Two avenues for the guidance of their behaviour are suggested. (a) Careful instruction - "those things which ye have both learned and received" (Php 4:9). Paul knew the value of a gospel ministry addressing itself to the heart and will of the hearer, seeking to get a verdict for the Master. But he was careful about the educational, as well as the emotional. When he had got his converts, he was keen about their spiritual advancement, and with them his work became a teaching ministry. Isn’t it a fact that there is a woeful lack of teaching in our churches to-day? Read again the Epistles of Paul and see how full they are of massive doctrine - no wonder that there was so little back-sliding among his converts. They not only "learned" it, as a matter of information; but they "received" it as a matter of personal experience. (b) Concrete example - was the second source of their instruction: "those things which ye have . . . heard and seen in me". "Heard" about my manner of life when I was absent, "seen" in me when I was present. This presenting of himself as an example of Christian living, to which he refers in several places in the Epistle, must not be misunderstood. It is not to be put down to an exalted opinion of his own goodness. The trouble lay in this, that the New Testament had not yet been written, and though a good deal of oral ministry concerning the life of CHRIST was extant, anything in the way of a complete picture was not yet available. He left us "an example, that ye should follow His steps", 1 Peter 2:21 - but it was not always easy to see His steps. So, says Paul, follow me, and you will be in the way of following Him. Thus he applies it (c) in practical fashion - "those things . . . do" (Php 4:9). It is not enough to know, we must be sure to do what we know - "if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them", John 13:17. I am so often impressed with that "do" in 1 John 1:6 - "do not the truth". You see, the Truth is not simply some­thing to be discovered, to be understood, to be admired, to be preached - it is something to be done! The delightful result of all this hundred-per-cent life is that "the God of peace shall be with you" (Php 4:9). Before, he had said, "the peace of God" (Php 4:7), now, better still, it is "the God of peace". These all-out Christians shall have a new sense of the presence, and power, and purpose of their GOD. Happy people! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 80: 04.15. ENOUGH AND TO SPARE -- PHP_4:10-20 ======================================================================== Enough and to Spare -- Php 4:10-20 Chapter Fifteen SUCH was part of the description of the prodigal of his father’s home, when he had come to see what a fool he had been, and was reduced to such a state as to "perish with hunger". Even the slaves back home were in better case than he. They had "bread enough and to spare", Luke 15:17. It is a like impression that we get from our passage concerning our Heavenly Father’s resources; and after all that we have learned as to what He expects of His children, it is good to have the assurance that suffi­cient supplies are available for our strengthening, that we may be, and say, and do all that is required of us. Come, then, to these verses, and see the message they have for us. Consider, first­ - THE VARIETY OF NEED "All your need", says verse Php 4:19 - "every kind of need, material and spiritual", is Plummer’s comment. A good deal is said about the Material needs. Since the time when he became a Christian, Paul had often been in want, but he didn’t talk about it - "not that I speak in respect of want" (Php 4:11). He had learned a great lesson in life - to take everything that happens to him as coming from the hand of GOD. That made him "content", whatever his circumstances - poverty or plenty; up, or down; "all things" came alike to him (Php 4:12). Still, he did greatly appreciate all that these Philippian brethren had done for him (Php 4:14), in his periods of physical distress. It was not only what it meant to him, in the satisfying of his need; but, even more, what it meant to them, in the reward of kindness that will thereby accrue to them (Php 4:17). He knew that the grace of generosity was great gain to the giver as well as to the getter - indeed, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive". I wonder whether this saying of the Lord JESUS, unrecorded in the Gospels, was the theme of Paul’s teaching "concerning giving and receiving" (Php 4:15). If we are the Lord’s, all we have is His, including our money - personal consecration is a purse-and-all consecration; we are not just owners of it, but stewards of it; and "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful", 1 Corinthians 4:2. Moreover, let it ever be remembered that we are to give "not grudgingly [though we don’t want to], or of necessity [because we must]: for God loveth a cheerful [Gk. hilarious] giver", 2 Corinthians 9:7. But how clearly this Epistle brings home to us the extent of the Spiritual needs. For it puts before us a picture of the Christian life at the highest level, filling our hearts with a great desire to come up to that standard, yet filling our minds with a great despair of ever reaching it. We know so well how far short we come, and how easily we fail; and so we recognise our need of guidance and of grace to enable us to fulfil the purposes and plans that GOD has for us. Let us go back over the Epistle, and pick out at random some of His expectations of His children, in order that the sense of our need may become all the more definite, that it may turn us away from our inadequate selves, and that it may throw us all the more upon GOD. "That your love may abound yet more and more", Php 1:9 - what a need is mirrored in that requirement: we need so much from Him, if this is to be fulfilled, "Christ shall be magnified in my body", Php 1:20 - if it be a fit body, or a frail body, it must needs be fortified, if its members are to be used in His happy service, endowed with physical strength, mental vigour, and spiritual power. "Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ", Php 1:27 - what need is evoked by this demand for a worthy demeanour and behaviour: complete consistency between creed and conduct, between lip and life, between profession and progression, is a vital necessity for a healthy Christian; yet how great is his need if he is going to attain it. "To suffer for His sake", Php 1:29 - Paul knew all about that; and all that are called to it will need all the courage, all the endurance, to take it, whether it be suffering of body, even torture for their testimony; or suffering of mind, for all the shame and obloquy heaped upon a Christian; or suffering of heart, from the desertion of friends who have left them since they joined up with the Master. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus", Php 2:5 - a mind of utter­most humility, sinking the seeming welfare of self for the weal of others; thinking of those others as CHRIST once did, and always does; we shall need a strong intincture of unearthly power if we are ever to achieve such a heavenly frame of mind. The sons of God, without rebuke", Php 2:15 - how often we have to be rebuked by others; yet here is a condition to which GOD’s children are summoned, a character in which GOD sees nothing, knows nothing, that calls for His serious, yet loving, remonstrance; how great their need if they are ever to attain this high stage of spiritual behaviour. "This one thing I do", Php 3:13 - so many other voices are calling, so many other interests are clamant, that it is not always easy to give such undivided allegiance to the cause of CHRIST; and, besides, the strength of temptation, and the weakness of self will combine to turn him from the path, if he cannot obtain what he needs to keep straight on. "Rejoice in the Lord alway", Php 4:4 - we have just been considering it, and have reminded ourselves of all the forces of the world we live in that make such rejoicing difficult; a man who stands face to face with such a demand knows full well how desperately he will need some great off-setting influence if he is to accede to it. "Be careful for nothing", Php 4:6 - where is the man, or the woman, without anxiety? The number of such non-worriers should be equivalent to the number of Christians. For them, but only for them, there is no need to worry; but there is great need to if they are not. "Those things . . . do", Php 4:9 - you’ll need much if you are to heed such; for Paul is offering himself to his Philippian friends as an example of Christian life for them to follow, as he, on his part, sought to follow CHRIST. Need, need, need - all the day, all the way. In the spiritual sense, the Christian is a bundle of needs; still more so, if he is a bundle of nerves. From this stroll through the whole Epistle, stopping by the wayside to view some of the landmarks, let us retrace our footsteps back to the portion of the landscape, from which we wandered off. Here, then, we think of­ - THE OPPORTUNITY OF SERVICE "Ye lacked opportunity", says verse Php 4:10. It is now some­thing like ten years since the church at Philippi had the chance to do their friend service - they had the will, they had the where­withal, but they hadn’t the way. From verse Php 4:15 we get the impression that they had been among the prime contributors to the fund that Paul collected for the poor saints in Jerusalem, 1 Corinthians 16:1-5. But they had not forgotten his own needs either; for, as he says, "ye sent once and again unto my necessity" (Php 4:16). Then, from various circumstances, had come the long period wherein their gifts had perforce to cease. Now, however, "at the last your care of me hath flourished again" (Php 4:10) - "budded forth again", is Dean Alford’s suggestion. Epaphroditus had been able to bring from Philippi a whole lot of "things" (Php 4:18) to relieve his destitution in the Roman prison. Paul was deeply moved by this token of their abiding love and care for him. One recalls that incident in the life of the fugitive David when he was overheard to wish he could get a drink of water from the well of his native Bethlehem, and three of his men, at grave risk of their lives, ventured through the enemy lines, and brought back the water. David was completely over­whelmed by such devotion, and felt that he could not drink, but poured out the water, in sacrifice of thanksgiving before the Lord. Paul did not hesitate to partake of the victuals that his friends had sent; but I imagine that his feelings were akin to David’s. To the apostle, the gifts were "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God" (Php 4:18). The late Professor Deissmann, to whom the world is indebted for his discovery, through his archaeological study of the unearthed papyri and ostraca of the Ancient East, that the New Testament is written, not in classical Greek, but in a vernacular, almost colloquial, form of Greek as used by the common people of the day, has an interesting suggestion concerning the phrase, "I have all" (Php 4:18). He remarks that the word translated "have" was frequently used in a commercial sense, and was employed for describing the giving of a receipt. If his idea be adopted, the phrase would read, "I give a receipt in full". In any case, that is the significance of the verse, as it stands. It is Paul’s acknowledgment that the Gift Parcel has arrived safely, and fully, to Paul’s delight, and, we may say, verse Php 4:18, to GOD’s delight. Let it be taken to heart that these Philippians took their opportunity when it came. In the last case, they had waited for it all those years, on the look out for it; and then, perhaps all of a sudden, the chance came, and they seized it with both hands. That is the New Testament advice. We have already quoted Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" - that is, our fellow-believers. And Hebrews 13:16 tells us, "to do good and to communicate [distribute] forget not: for with such sacrifices GOD is well pleased". Opportunities for service often suddenly present themselves, and as suddenly pass: oh, to be quick to see and seize them. Unnoticed opportunities are like Browning’s "angels", that " . . . sit all day Beside you, and lie down at night by you, Who care not for their presence - muse - or sleep, And all at once they leave you - and you know them." In the Christian sphere this is so often fraught with eternal significance. An opportunity of testimony presents itself­ you are brought into touch with some person quite unarranged, and in your heart you feel the meeting is of GOD: say the intro­ductory word at once, ere the chance quickly is out of reach. What would have happened, I wonder, if Philip had lost the opportunity of hailing the Ethiopian chariot, that GOD had arranged to meet with the evangelist at that desert spot, Acts 8:29. By some turn in the conversation among fellows, a chance occurs to put in a word for the Saviour - with love, with humility, and with tact grasp that chance. Eternal issues may hang on it. GOD does thus provide opportunities of service for His children, unless we habitually neglect them. I think it is not our respon­sibility to make them, but to take them. In trying to make opportunities, we so often only make blunders. If, at the opening of each day, we place ourselves at His disposal, He will so delightfully, as in Philip’s case, make the Place, the Time, the Person to coincide - and will then give the Word to preach unto him JESUS. With what joy will you thus watch GOD working out His purposes through you. And so now, with evident appropriateness, we come to­ - THE SUFFICIENCY OF POWER "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Php 4:13). There is no "do" in the Greek, so that from the broken sentence we almost get an impression of a man stirred, even excited, by the sudden realisation afresh that there is absolutely nothing required of him by GOD that he cannot do: he is complete master of every situation, he is equal to anything and everything. When things are glad, or sad; when things are prosperous, or calamitous; when things are gracious, or anxious - "I can", says Paul; I can stand up to life, whatever it brings, even if that means the imprisonment with all its deprivations and restrictions, and the daily, even hourly, irksomeness of the chain and soldier. He "can"; and we can - for his secret is available to us. "Through Christ which strengtheneth me". It seems to me that, if "joy" is the characteristic of the Epistle, "through" is its secret - so often does it occur: and we haven’t finished with it yet. In CHRIST, then, there is all the strength that I can possibly need - enough and to spare. Paul has the same thought in Romans 8:37, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" - conquerors (enough); more than (and to spare). But in what sense can we be more than conquerors? Surely, in not only overcoming, but in getting something out of what is overcome. Some trouble comes, and "through Him" we are enabled to bear it, and not to be bitter about it - that is to be a conqueror; but out of our attitude towards the trouble there comes a deeper knowledge of GOD, and a new sympathy to help others "in the same boat" - that is something "more than" mere victory. What wonderful sufficiency is ours! "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by ["in"] Christ Jesus" (Php 4:19). You have supplied all my need, he seems to say, now GOD will supply all your need. And across the years he seems to say it to you and me also. "Your need" - may be very big: so little to Him, but so large to you, therefore He will not belittle it, make light of it. Yes, vast and varied may be our need. "My God" - in all His majestic mightiness; Paul is allowed to reckon Him as "my" GOD: you and I are allowed the same privilege; up alongside of Him, our need does not seem so insuperably big, after all. "His riches" - the other day, for a certain purpose, I had a cheque from a man drawn on his "NO.2 AIC". It would appear that GOD has at least four accounts (1) "The riches of His goodness", Romans 2:4. (2) The riches of His wisdom, Romans 11:33. (3) "The riches of His grace", Ephesians 1:7. (4) The riches of His glory, Ephesians 1:18. Out of one or other of His accounts there is abundance to meet all our need. "In glory" - the Royal Bank of Heaven; and what a bank: "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal", Matthew 6:20. "According to" - not just "out of." A millionaire might give a tramp a shilling "out of" his riches; but how greater would be help "according to", that is, after the measure of His riches - the first, a parsimonious gift; the other, a princely gift. This latter is the Divine manner. So closes the passage, on the note, not of any praise to us, for anything we may be, or may have done, but of acknowledgment that it is all of Him. The "glory", then, is His, and shall be His "for ever and ever"! ======================================================================== CHAPTER 81: 04.16. GOOD-BYE, SAINTS! -- PHP_4:21-23 ======================================================================== Good-bye, Saints! -- Php 4:21-23 Chapter Sixteen WE come now to the closing salutations of this delightful Letter. "The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand", 1 Corinthians 16:21. "Ye see how large a letter [perhaps, with what large letters] I have written unto you with mine own hand", Galatians 6:11. "The salutation by the hand of me Paul", Colossians 4:18 - "remember my bonds", he adds, possibly by way of explanation of his large, bad writing: you can’t write very well when your wrist is in chains. "The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every Epistle: so I write", 2 Thessalonians 3:17. It would appear that it was his practice, after dictating his letters to an amanuensis, to take the stylo, and, in his own handwriting, to add a concluding word of farewell salutation. Doubtless to the great delight of his readers. I feel pretty sure that these closing three verses belong to the same category; and that when Epaphroditus delivers the letter, all those Philippian Christians will gather round to hear the thrice­ welcome communication, and that when he shows them the actual manuscript, they will recognise with glee the authentic calligraphy. Dear old Paul, his writing is as bad as ever - but what else can you expect: "Remember, my bonds"! So he addresses himself to "the saints". I do not propose to deal here now with Who, and What they are - we went into that in our first chapter ­but Where they are. We consider, therefore, the suggestions of their four locations. SAINTS - IN THE PLACE OF BLESSING "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:21). Here is the last occurrence of this wonderful "in" - as we have seen over and over again in the course of the Epistle, all that we are, all that we do, all that we can, all that we have, is "in" Him - as old John Newton sang, "My never failing treasury, tilled With boundless stores of grace." This is our dwelling-place, our fount of blessing. Do you notice that it says, not "all", which would indicate the company of believers as a whole, but "every", which represents that company as individuals. Christians are not saved in the mass but as separate persons. The old word may be applied, "Ye shall be gathered one by one", Isaiah 27:12. And we have abundant evidence in the Gospels that, while "I have compassion on the multitude", Matthew 15:32. He gave Himself un­reservedly, untiringly, to the blessing of individuals - what an amount of time He gave to the ones: - as Nicodemus, and the Samaritan woman; how wonderfully He prayed for the particular person: as in Luke 22:31-32 - "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you [all], that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee [personally] that thy faith fail not". And how conscious of the individual He was even in the crowd - "His disciples said unto Him, Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, who touched Me?" Mark 5:31. He was aware of that one in the crowd and of her need. Yes, Paul, we note the distinction between your "all", and your "every". Each one of the everyone has one thing in common. They are amazingly different in so many ways - some have made very little progress in the Christian life; some are at a complete standstill; some have come into a very high level of spiritual experience; but satisfactory or unsatisfactory, each alike has this enormous privilege and blessing, that he is "in Christ Jesus" - so that the satisfactory may grow yet further, and the unsatisfactory may become what He wants him to be. Praise GOD for such a place of blessing. What an inspiration it might be if our waking thought each morning were, to repeat, "in Christ Jesus". SAINTS - IN THE PLACE OF PRIVILEGE "The brethren which are with me" (Php 4:21). "The companions who visited him most frequently in his imprisonment," says Plummer. "Probably Tychicus, of the Ephesians, Timothy and Epaphroditus, of the Philippians; possibly, Onesimus, who, erstwhile thief that he had been, was now amongst the blessed body of "brethren"; Aristarchus, "my fellowprisoner", Mark, Jesus Justus, Epaphras, and Dr. Luke, of the Colossians." All these were with the apostle in Rome, and were apparently allowed to go and see him in his prison room, and to go on errands for him. But, what a privilege to be with him like that - to help him with his correspondence, to listen to his talk of the things of GOD, to join with him in his prayers, to watch his patience and cheerfulness that could enable him to write such a letter as the Joy Way. Again we say, what a privilege! How great and deep can be the influence upon us lesser men by our association with the big men of the Kingdom of GOD. H. M. Stanley bore glad testimony to the spiritual influence that the godly life of Dr. Livingstone had on him during the time he stayed with him, after he had "found" him, in Darkest Africa. How can I measure the effect of my working under Dr. R. A. Torrey, during his month’s wonderful Mission at the Royal Albert Hall, London; or thank GOD enough for the influence on my life and ministry these many years, of my beloved friend, that great man of GOD, Richard Hudson Pope, to whom I owe more than I can ever say, or pay; or to that remarkable man, Robert Charles Joynt, my boyhood’s vicar, at Christ Church, Gipsy Hill. To what a host of men and women I am indebted! You, too, my reader, can bear like witness to those who have meant much to you - first leading you to CHRIST, and then leading you on for CHRIST. Can we, I wonder, such small people, be enabled to exercise any little degree of such influence on any life? Someone, perhaps, coming up behind. At any rate, let us, on the negative side, be careful not to exercise a bad, or doubtful, influence - as we quoted earlier, "Make straight paths for your feet lest, that which is lame be turned out of the way," Hebrews 12:13. SAINTS - IN THE PLACE OF COMMUNITY "All the saints salute you" (Php 4:22). He has thought of them as individuals, now it is the company as a united body. They all, as a church, in Rome, send their love to them all, the church in Philippi. It is a fact of very great importance, both for the spiritual welfare of the Christian, as also for the strength of the testimony to the world, that each soul won to CHRIST should remember that he is thus "born again" into a family, into a company, and that no believer can be properly developed, in the things of GOD, unless he realises, and exercises, the church life, unless he have this sense, and obligation, of community. - the Christian songster is not just a soloist, but a member of a choir; - the Christian soldier is not just a solitary figure, but a member of an army; - the Christian scholar is not just a privately tutored learner, but a member of a school; - the Christian son is not just a lonely child, but a member of a family; - the Christian sprinter is not just an individual performer, but a member of a team. "For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body," 1 Corinthians 12:13. So let us be zealous in the discharge of our responsibilities in connection with whatever outward body of believers we happen to belong - pulling our weight in all its life and activity. We shall, of course, fail in that if we are for ever running after dis­tinguished preachers in other churches, or rushing off to exciting campaigns far and wide and never settling to the ordinary life of work and worship in our own church. We can’t grow strong in the spiritual life if we are continually feeding upon the attractive and delightful pastries of special missions and movements, we need normally the steady, solid feeding upon the bread and meat of the Word. Moreover, let us see to it that our relationship with our fellowmembers of the Christian community is all that it ought to be as members of the same Family of GOD. It is sad beyond measure that we sometimes find in churches such an unholy brood of grudges, cliques, criticisms, even antagonisms. The Philippian church was not free of such unworthy squabbles, as we have seen. Anyhow, my reader, be sure that you are not party to any of these unchristian things. Differences of opinion, of course, there must be, but why cannot they be held, and stated, in love? How grievous it is to find church members at "logger-heads". Let us heed the injunction, in this as in all matters, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption," Ephesians 4:30, "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," verse Ephesians 4:3. SAINTS - IN THE PLACE OF SURPRISE "They that are of Caesar’s household" (Php 4:22). Lightfoot has established the fact that "Caesar’s household" was a description embracing the whole wide range of imperial employees - not just his family and house servants, but his slaves, his army, his officials; the most important and the most insignificant, both near and far. It would be amongst these that the prevailing idolatry would be likely to be more rampant, especially the fairly recently fostered cult of the worship of the emperor. Yet, we get the surprising news that there had arisen "saints... [in] Caesar’s household"! It is not difficult to realise how this came about. Take such a phrase as we saw in Php 1:13, "My bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace". There is more in that than appears on the surface - this prisoner was attracting some very special attention, everybody was talking about him, they had never had one like him. Those soldiers who were placed on the rota for guarding him were, at least some of them, not only interested, but intrigued and impressed. There were some whom this prisoner led to the Saviour; and on their next term of duty with him there would be Christian fellowship and instruction. One such, perhaps, would be thrilled as Paul made up a sermon on the pieces of his armour, and dictated it as part of a letter he was writing: Ephesians 6:14-18. And now the apostle includes the little band of military converts - the first Soldiers’ Christian Association - in the greetings to the Philippian believers. It was a lovely surprise to find that happy company in such a place. It only goes to show - doesn’t it - that you can bear your witness, and see fruit, in the most unlikely places. Paul was not going to be silenced because he was in prison - he would find opportunity for Christian testimony, wherever he was, and whatever his circumstances. Wasn’t it when he was ill at Troas, that he won the doctor, Dr. Luke, to CHRIST? We don’t know that; but it was so like the apostle: always at it. And the results came. Are you in a situation seemingly uncongenial to Christian witness - an office, a factory, a shop, a club, a home, a circle. Be on the look-out - and, perhaps all of a sudden, most unexpectedly, you may get a chance to say a word for the Master to some individual, which by the work of the HOLY SPIRIT shall lead to conversion. There is no place where the SPIRIT’S influence is impossible, though many where it might be surprising. Let us seek only that we may walk closely with GOD, so that, at any moment, He may be able to arrange the opportunity for us to help some soul heavenward. "Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, And bless that soul through me; And may I humbly do my part To bring that soul to Thee." Be that our attitude, and our prayer, wherever we may be called to be - however unlikely it may all seem to be. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Almost the first word of the Epistle was "grace" (Php 1:2); and now, almost the last word is "grace" (Php 4:23). Type of the Christian life itself - which begins in grace, Ephesians 2:8; which is pursued all along in grace, 1 Corinthians 15:10; and which will usher us into eternal bliss by that same grace. "Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be." What better, prayerful, good wish could the apostle close his letter with. All kinds of saints, and the whole body of saints - "every", and "all" - find the variety of their need met, and the sufficiency of their problems met, in this all-embracing and eternal grace of GOD. And the "great grace" of Acts 4:33 will soon be followed by the "great joy" of Acts 8:8 - this is the Joy Way. Amen! ======================================================================== Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/writings-of-guy-h-king/ ========================================================================