ASSEMBLY ORDER
A Bible Reading
From:
Things New and Old, Volume One 1933
This paper is the substance of a
reading at a Conference In Toronto, July, 1900 (now over thirty-two years ago).
Messrs. Ridout, Greenman, Enefer, and Booth were
the chief speakers. The first three are with us no longer; they have been
called Home. Their voices we shall bear no more in Bible readings. The reading
had in view the correction of certain views and practices in the assemblies of
an independent character. The reading was published in pamphlet form (now out
of print) and is again printed that all our readers may benefit by it and
consider afresh the truths contained therein. Guides may pass away, but Christ
our Lord and the Truth ever abide. "Remember them that had the rule (guides)
over you, men that spake unto you the word of God and considering the manner of
their life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today,
yea and forever." (Heb.13:7-8. R.V.)
B.C.Greenman.-- 1 Cor.12:18-27.
It is very important in reading a scripture like this to recognize the twofold
application of it; that is, if we rejoice, as we do, in our blessed privilege
as members of the body of Christ, we must also recognize the same unity as to
the visible local representations of the body of Christ as there is between the
individual members of it. Hence Paul says: "Now ye are the body of Christ,"
addressing the Corinthians, "and members in particular." He addresses them as
though there were no other Christians in the world, and says: "Ye are the body
of Christ." Would that each child of God would get into his soul the blessed
sense of this -- a member of that body, of which Christ is the Head, in which
the Holy Spirit dwells. What honor that places upon us. A little assembly might
say that we are set in this world to be a perfect representation of what the
body of Christ is; a body ruled by the Head, and indwelt, every member of it,
by the same Holy Spirit. We could not possibly think of a body in which the
parts of it were at variance with each other except the head is wrong The Head
being right all the members of the body are supposed to be governed by that
Head and energized by the Spirit that dwells throughout it That which has
caused all the sad denial of this, practically and other wise, is a lack of
knowledge as to the way this works practically. So, neglect in getting a letter
of commendation shows ignorance or indifference. When leaving home, with the
same care as a man gets his railroad ticket, he should get his letter of
commendation from his brethren. He should not leave the place that he goes from
without a letter of credit to the meeting that he goes to, and if we expect a
fellowship worth anything to us, it should be a fellowship that we seek to
maintain in all its integrity; and if we value it in that way, we expect others
to value it likewise; because a thing that puts down all fences -- a field that
has no fence around it, is soon a common; and has nothing for anybody.
A.E.Booth.-- I will read a verse giving the Church as the house. 1 Tim.3:15.
v B.C.G.-- The thought added to the previous one is, that there the Church
was presented as the body of Christ, and that truth must be maintained by all
of us. In this, the Church is the House of God and we must maintain an order
suitable to Him that dwells there.
S.Ridout.-- Eph.4:2-4. That is, the
unity of the Spirit is the unity which we are to keep in the bond of peace.
There is a unity of the body, and the order of the house; and the power which
is to make practical the unity of the body and the order of the house, is the
unity of the Spirit. One thought; one mind; one principle; one truth; one
government -- on control throughout the body and throughout the house. The
unity of the Spirit is a different thing from the unity of the body or the
order of the house, in this that it gives us the vital principle in which we
are to live and act as members of the body and as being in the house. As the
body gives us the activities and ministries of the Church, so the house gives
us the order and the government of the Church, but the unity of the Spirit
gives us the oneness in ministry and the oneness in government. Whether we look
at the Church as the body or the house, there is the oneness of the Spirit
which we are to keep in the bond of peace. This requires lowliness, meekness,
forbearance, but at the same time it must express itself identically wherever
the house is or wherever the body is. That is a most important principle. The
unity of the body always exists, but if we are practically to be a testimony to
it there must be the endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.
B.C.G.-- As an illustration of what our brother has been presenting, there are
two species of things in contrast with it which are found in Christendom. The
one' is the thought of union, which is not unity, which puts contradictory
things together and just glosses that over with a union, the elements of which
are not put together by the Spirit of God. That is mans substitute for a
divine truth. If I cut off all the fingers of my hand and tie them together,
that would be a union but it would not be a unity. The fingers would be
together, but they are not together as united, running to the centre of the
palm of the hand. If I took a piece off the tips of the taller ones, making
them all of the same size, that would be another phase of things -- uniformity.
The Word of God does not present either of those things; it presents unity.
There are differences of attainment; differences as to growth, but there is a
unity which God forms, and He forms it with relation to Christ the Head, so
that now, as God has given us a hand we have not any of us to make a hand; we
have to keep one. God has given us the various parts of our bodies to maintain
intact, and so He has formed the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and it is
our business to keep the unity of the Spirit.
S.R.-- As illustrating
that in a very simple way: here we are together this morning from all parts,
and soon we will have to be separated, bodily. We will suppose that 'we were to
break bread this morning, or, what is the same thing, take some action as
gathered to our Lord. Let us notice it -- we are always at the Lords
table; not simply on Lords day morning, but we keep the Passover seven
days. That is, there is no time when we are not at the Lords table. Our
whole life is at the Lords table, just as Mephibosheth was always at the
kings table. Not that he was eating all the time, but his position was
that he was at the kings table. Now, someone seeks, we will say, to
minister, and it is not the truth of God; it is not for edification; then, of
course, it fails to edify us as gathered here. I judge that we would say that
ministry was more particularly connected with the body, just as government is
more particularly connected with the house. You would say that if ones
ministry is not edifying or is not true, he would come under the government of
the house -- that is, we would have to deal with him. Would we not, if some one
came here and taught Unitarianism or something that denied Christ, would we not
arise at once and put him from our midst? We would not go on with it at all.
That is the order of the house, of course. If a person applied for fellowship
who was not in a right state or held false doctrine or anything of that sort,
we would not receive him. That is connected with our responsibility as members
of the one body and as members of the house.
But now we separate. Have
those principles changed in the least? Some of us go to western Ontario; some
of us into the States; some of us to Nova Scotia, and all that. There is the
same precious gospel; the same kind of ministry; the same application for
fellowship. What would you do in any one place differently from what we have
done as gathered together? Would not our act be identically the same if it were
done in some local assembly as if it were done in this large and representative
gathering? There is the application of the unity of the Spirit -- the truth of
the unity of the Spirit to the saints as gathered in various places; and if we
are to keep the, unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, it must be acting
separately just as we would act were we all together and the act of the
separate assembly representing the action of the Church of God -- the action of
the House of God, just as much as if we were all together in one large united
meeting. There is no separation; in other words it is identical.
B.C.G.-- The first is a thought which may be new to some -- "we are always at
the Lords table" -- are never seen distinct and severed from it. We are
not always in the act of taking the bread and wine, but you see we, are
identified with that. Read 1 Cor.10, beginning at the seventeenth verse -- "For
we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one
bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: Are not they which eat of the sacrifices
partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is anything or that
which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say that the things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I
would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup
of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lords
table, and of the table of devils." So he puts it upon them seriously: How can
people who are partakers of the Lords table -- that is their every-day
character -- how can they rally themselves with what is the most distinct
denial of that
S.R.-- We ought to have it stamped upon us; we are
people in this world who are identified with His name and His table.
Ques.-- How can that be carried out practically, that we are always at the
Lords table?
B.C.C.-- Having the sense upon us that we are
associated with Him in that fellowship which is expressed at the Lords
table.
W.McC. -- And in our practices during the week or any of the
intervals between the time that we would be sitting at the Lords table,
actually partaking of the, loaf and the, cup, our associations and all should
be consistent with the moral significance of the feast that we partake of, we
should not be playing fast and loose with things as we see some. The authority
of His name must be maintained there; so, as those who love the Lord Jesus
Christ, we are bound to refuse any who are careless. We are the stewards of the
Lords table; we are to keep His name clear in relation to what is
associated with it. So the very name, Lords table, puts it upon us that
we cannot be indifferent to the Lords holy claim to it.
G.M.--
To illustrate what our brother R.---- said: A few weeks ago, I was very deeply
and forcibly impressed, when I was at a place, that whatever I was doing there,
though as an individual, I was doing for all, and it was not a question of any
personal estimation of persons or liberty that I could have myself, but it was
a question of all -- the whole body.
A.E.B.-- That is important. It
would be nice if all the laborers would remember that.
S.R.-- Acting
not as individuals, but for all. That what was sought to be done was to carry
out the Lords interests for all His people, and that nothing inconsistent
with that should be done.
A.E.B.-- I wish all the laborers would just
keep that same thought before them. In all our service, that we are to act for
the whole, and especially where little gatherings are formed and the
Lords table is spread.
S.R.-- Just there is a point of
importance; the formation of new gatherings. It is a very important thing that
new gatherings should be formed, but the table should not be spread in any
place without, if possible, the practical fellowship of some gathering near by
-- at any rate, with the written fellowship. Let it be known that the saints
are contemplating breaking bread, and seeking the fellowship of their brethren.
I think some of the brethren here could give very interesting illustrations of
how the neglect of that has worked harm, and how the observance of that
principle has been for blessing.
B.C.G.-- It would be just as
imperative -- it is just the same thing -- supposing there were two or three
suburban meetings here, that the same fellowship should be between them as if
it were two or three meetings here in the city. The point is to recognize
fellowship with each other, and if these little gatherings are formed, they
should be formed in relation to those which already exist.
v To follow up
what we have been saying; when persons would ask us for some definite scripture
with reference to it, I would like to call attention to two or three passages
to show that there was not a diverse order as to assemblies in the earlier
days, and there should be no more now.
1 Cor.7:17. Without looking at
what was in the beginning, it says in the last part of the verse, "And so
ordain I in all churches." That is, what the apostle insisted upon there he
insisted upon everywhere. The arrangement of things was universal. He had not
one order for Corinth and another for Ephesus. Gods order he claimed was
divine authority.
S.R.-- Just with your finger on that verse, I would
like to quote what has been said, "What has Ephesus to do with evil at
Corinth?" How absolutely contrary to the word of God such an expression as that
would be, which has been used and maintained as a principle of independency.
B.C.G.-- The sixteenth verse of the eleventh chapter is in the same
line. And this is the epistle of order in the house of God. This is what might
be deemed an unimportant 'matter, but the apostle insisted upon it here, (and
he would if he were here now), "If any man seem to contentious, we have no such
custom, neither the churches of God." That is, he could not yield to any man
who wanted to set aside Gods order.
W.McC.-- Let us remember in
studying first Corinthians that it was not confined in its address to the
church of God in Corinth, but to "all that in every place call upon the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours"; so that its application is as
much for us in the last days and last hours, and for every saint of God, as it
was for them. That was a special remark that widened out to all; while we know
that all Scripture is of universal application, in another way this has a
special stamp upon it.
A.E.B.-- "If any one think to be contentious,
we have no such custom," -- that is, we the laborers, nor the assemblies of
God. There is perfect unity amongst the laborers, and perfect unity amongst all
the gatherings. That is a very important thing.
v B.C.G.-- Here he has
spent half a chapter upon such an unimportant matter, seemingly, as to how
brethren should be distinct from sisters in the Church of God. But some have
said that Paul says, if any one objects to that, he does not hold to this. If
any one objects, we have no such custom -- we yield. That is not true in the
least. If any one is objecting and is contentious, why he is rejecting the
universal custom of the laborers, of course, and the universal custom of the
assemblies of God.
F.J.E.-- That should be well taken notice of,
because there has been a great misconception about that verse. It has often
been quoted the way you have put it with reference to what you have stated just
now in connection with the sisters.
S.R.-- The apostle says in another
place, "If any man will be ignorant, let him he ignorant." Such an one is still
ignorant, that is all.
B.C.G.-- Chapter 14, verse 33 is on the same
line; and we know that is the chapter that regulates the ministry of the Church
when it comes together. It is a sample case. After giving all these directions,
he says the reason is, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."
In all the churches it is the same. How could the apostle say this -- how could
he vouch for the various gatherings if this were not so? It is not but that
gatherings may differ in their spiritual condition, but there was but one order
maintained. There was but one centre; but one order of the assemblies coming
together. So he can speak for all the assemblies of the saints. Now this is
specially to be noticed, for I was challenged more than once across the sea,
and have been this side, as to this expression which has been used, as to the
"Circle of Fellowship." A person said to me: I do not agree with what some of
you American brethren say as to the Circle of Fellowship. Well, I said, if you
can give us a better name to express a divine fact, we will be glad for any
good name, because we know the name is but human but the thing is divine, and
we do not want you, in objecting to the name, to do away with the thing. Here
is a circle of fellowship -- here is an order that the apostle can vouch for --
that if you leave Corinth and go to Ephesus you will find it there too. So we
have got to look into it to see what this order is. If we go to Ephesus, what
ought we to do? We bear a letter from Corinth, we go to the same fellowship in
Ephesus that we leave in Corinth; we are in the fellowship wherever it may be.
Some people, for convenience or other reasons, do not put in their claim
elsewhere, and they say they do not belong there for the time. That is not
true. The day they land at the other place they belong there.
S.R.--
Yes, and are under the discipline of that place -- of the saints as gathered
there. We, for instance, have been under the discipline of the assembly at
Toronto for the last three days; subject to the discipline of the House of God
as expressed in the assembly of Toronto of which for the time being we form
part.
B.C.G.-- In connection with that, then, if we had presented
something here that the brethren were assured was a very evil thing, and they
protested against it, and we still held to it, then the next thing, inasmuch as
the order of the Church of God is but one, there should at once be an appeal
made from us to those we came from. Why? because they are responsible -- they
sent us in a sense, or commended us; so that would stop any such mischievous
notion as that we should deal with evil short and sharp and cut people off
before those they came from have a full opportunity to identify themselves with
the matter. If you are right in taking us up for something we have presented
here, then the brethren, in deference to them should have an opportunity to act
with you in all that is done.
F.J.E.-- In connection with the circle
of fellowship, would you say now that in view of the failure that has come in
amongst those professing to be and actually gathered out to the name of the
Lord, that that "circle of fellowship" is confined to those who are holding to
the truth of God as it was accepted when the movement first took place?
B.C.G.-- Certainly.
F.J.E.-- That is to say, to take
ourselves, for instance: Is it not confined to that "circle of fellowship"
apart from other companies of those who are called brethren?
S.R.--
Certainly. We canott vouch for other people maintaining that which we do not
know they are maintaining.
F.J.E.-- If that is the case, we would say
we are in the "circle of fellowship" on what ground? For what reason?
S.R.-- To maintain the truth which we find in the Scriptures.
F.J.E.--
Then that practically condemns the other circles.
S.R.-- It does,
unquestionably, brethren, and I do not believe we ought to have the slightest
hesitation in saying that we are where we are by conviction, and that by
Gods grace we maintain in love and lowliness, but with all firmness, our
separate position as gathered to the Lords name in subjection to His
word, and that we look on our dear brethren in the sects, and on our dear
brethren who are not but who are practically forming sections in that way, we
look on them all alike; we test them all by the word of God. Some have more
truth; some have less truth, but none of them, for one reason and another --
none of them can have that which commends them to us as being on the ground of
Gods word simply and only. The only way we can leave the ground we occupy
is by conviction that it is wrong and unscriptural. That is the only upright
and conscientious way that we can change our position -- that it is not
according to God, and take a position that is according to God, whether it be
with some other company or if we have to stand alone.
W.McC.-- There
are some today who have the thought that the corporate testimony is gone, and
that there is nothing remaining for Christians now, but individual Christian
testimony. They do not set themselves -- they do not intend to endeavor to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; they do not recognize that there
is any more responsibility, or at least that there is any more possibility of
the children of God -- the members of the body of Christ gathering together as
such, and maintaining together the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of
peace; they have given up that idea. They have expressed it in words like this:
"Oh, your theory of the one body is exploded," and they point to the numerous
defects among us to prove it. But that does not prove that we are cleared from
the responsibility of still obeying the fourth chapter of Ephesians; that does
not change the fact that God had made of twain one new man, so making peace,
that He has joined Jews and Gentiles together by the baptism of the Spirit into
one body. That fact remains, and will remain until Christ takes the Church out
of the world, but as long as it does remain, we, as individuals are responsible
to endeavor, collectively -- every individual that sees the truth, is
responsible with every other individual who sees the truth, to maintain that
truth, to walk together in the uniting bond of peace. Ignoring this, many give
up this endeavor -- the endeavor which should arise from a firm belief of the
truth as to this.
B.C.G.-- That is a most mischievous notion; it is
wider spread than we have any idea of.
S.R.-- And it shows really that
they have had their eyes on their fellow -- brethren instead of on the Word of
God and on the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been looking at one another; and if
we have failed, then everything is gone.
F.J.E.-- It would be wrong
for me then, believing that I am where the truth is, to say to these other
circles: Now let us come together; we are all wrong?
S.R.-- Certainly.
Why should I confess as wrong that which is the truth of God? There may be
details which one would be glad to clear up, provided they were not understood
as giving up the ground of Gods truth.
A.E.B.-- Another point as
to this. Not only has the Scripture put us in this position, but certain
circumstances in connection with our brethren have compelled it. We all know
that our hearts desire is not to be separated from them, but it is
because they will not follow the truth, we have been forced into separation
from them. And on the other side there are others from whom our hearts
desire is not to be separated but who take unscriptural, sectarian ground. So
in that way I think that our consciences are perfectly clear before God as to
practice.
F.J.E.-- If I believe I am where the truth is, it would not
be right for me to go to another company of brethren and say, Now let us get
together; we are all wrong, and make a confession and see if we cannot get
together again.
S.R.-- That is going out to one of the cities. Leaving
Jerusalem and going out to Ono. (Neh.6:2)
B.C.G.-- Except we have
something to turn to in Scripture to tell us the principles that God
established at the beginning have been rendered null and void by any failure of
His people, we must go back and see what was that order that God established at
the beginning, and we must aim definitely and continuously to carry out that
order. We never can buy off from those things, and it is just the devils
trick to get us to excuse ourselves from responsibility and say: "everything is
gone; we cannot maintain anything," which is to say that Christ is no longer
head of His Church; His word is not sufficient guidance for us in all our
pathways here, and the Spirit of God is not competency to obey the will of God.
It is a surrender of everything.
S.R.-- Speaking of going back reminds
me of another thing that is very important. In the movements towards union that
have been made, and which have brought such sorrow in some quarters, there has
been a distinct refusal to go hack to the start of the trouble. If I see aright
in Scripture, the only way to get right with God and to get right with one
another, is to go back to the root of the thing and judge that. Here is a
division, for instance, which took place many years ago. They plead the statute
of limitations and say, That happened fifty years ago; what do we know about
it? Let us take things as we find them now. Here is a company of saints; they
love the Lord Jesus, and their walk is right. Well, beloved, how about fifty
years ago? If they love the Lord Jesus, and if their walk is right, is it such
a hard thing to walk back fifty years with the Word of God in our hand, and
say: Here was something said: here was a principle adopted that was Contrary to
the word of God, and it was wrong? We go back 6000 years. We take our Bibles
and turn to to the first part of Genesis, and we say Adam and Eve sinned. We
have no hesitation in saying this thing. Somebody might say: That happened 6000
years ago; what difference does that make? It is just as fresh to-day as it was
then. And so a principle adopted fifty years ago and acted upon as the
principle of fellowship amongst Christians is just as fresh to-day, and has got
to be judged. If it is a right principle, dear brethren, you and l have got to
go back those fifty years and confess before God our wrong in resisting that
principle. If it is unscriptural, our brethren, no matter how dear they may be
as children of God, no matter how nice their companies may appear, they must go
back and judge that principle too, or there can be no godly basis of
fellowship.
B.C.G.-- We have definite Scripture as to that: the
apostle speaks of some who walk in the way of Cain; so, though Cain is dead and
gone, his ways are here yet. And the Lord tells the people who are rejecting
Him, in the eleventh of Luke, forty-ninth verse. "Therefore also said the
wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they
shall slay and persecute; that the blood of the prophets, which was shed from
the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood
of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the
temple: verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation." The
point which is of great value there, is this; that there was a people who never
shed Abels blood, who are charged with it; there were people who never
shed the blood of Zacharias, but they were held accountable for it. Why?
Because they identified themselves with the people who did it; We cannot get
out of it; this principle of association is one of the most serious things
possible, and if we learn it well and deeply it will root us out of things
which people are so utterly careless about now. I give you one good example.
When we were remonstrating with a brother whom we heard was associated with the
Free Masons, and he said be was not much of a Mason -- he scarcely ever went;
just kept his name on the books by paying up his dues once in a while -- we
followed him up by this: that if he was a Mason at all, he ought to be a good
Mason. It is a good thing for a man to be zealously affected in a good thing,
and if it is a good thing he ought to get his brethren to join too. We would
like to belong to a good thing. We sought to show him that he was identified
before God with what Masonry was in Gods sight. We said, Now, we will
give you time to consider it duly, but if the Scripture says; "Love the
Brotherhood," that shuts out every brotherhood but one; there is only one to
which the definite article is applied, and that is the Brotherhood of the
people of God; these are the devices of the enemy, for God is an exclusive God
and says, I am God and there is none else. The brotherhood of His people is an
exclusive brotherhood which shuts all other brotherhoods. Thank God, the dear
man, after a good deal of exercise, decided to withdraw entirely from Masonry.
Another way the devil has of holding a Christian is because he has insured his
life, and has paid out a good deal of money to a society and he wants to get
his moneys worth.
Let us carefully discriminate. Supposing we
say that is an unequal yoke; but it is an unequal yoke of a very serious
nature. Here is another man who thinks he sees what a terrible curse
intemperance is, and he sees the misery that it brings, and so on, and
believing he is here partly to set the world right, he goes in with others in a
temperance movement. It would be very ill -- used judgment, and not weighing
things properly to put those things down side by side as of equal gravity;
while both are unequal yokes. Free Masonry is not only an unequal yoke, but it
has most serious things attached to it, and we have to discriminate as to it.
S.R.-- As to the principle involved, we must remember that each case
has its details which render it distinct. We must take into account that
discipline is by the priests, as you might say, and that, by the way, includes
all the assembly; not the brothers only. The brothers may be the Levites and
have their meeting, and get things in order so that the priests may examine the
case and decide upon it, but the brothers alone do not settle cases of
discipline. It requires communion with God, and discernment, which comes from
communion with God, of the state of soul. But you see in the plague of leprosy
there were all kinds of things; there was a freckle; there was a bald head;
there was a boil -- there were such things. There were things that speak of
mere natural infirmities or the ebulition of nature which do not represent the
deep root of leprosy or association with leprosy; so we have to use wisdom and
discernment, and as our brother has pointed out, give the brother who is
entangled in these things time, and let him understand that we are not standing
with a pistol pointed at him, and counting, so to speak; -- we are to give him
time in that way, and have our arms about him and helping him out of the thing.
I would not say that life insurance was an immoral thing; I would say
it was a distinct lack of faith. It shows a state of soul, but it is not
exactly an unequal yoke with unbelievers; and being a question of faith, we
cannot give people faith, but we can exhort them and counsel them; that is all.
But in the case of the Christian identified with Free Masonry, we could not put
it on that ground. That is a question of obedience and not of faith.
F.J.E.-- There are many who join Free Masonry for the benefits that their wives
and children may get, and themselves too.
S.R.-- There are two
distinct errors there. We must sympathize with one another in a want of faith,
but not sympathize with each other in direct disobedience. A man might be
tempted to insure his life, and we could ask God to encourage his faith; but if
he associates himself with Free Masonry, put things before him showing him the
extreme gravity of one in distinction to the other. Things are going to become
more and more difficult.
It is the question of association that is the
far graver question. And there is another thing about association that reaches
a little more widely than that even; and that is that association by one who is
clear individually with those who are not clear, which is worse than the
association of a person who is not clear. For instance. if I, knowing the truth
of God, associate with those. we will say, who are Unitarians, I am far worse
than if one ignorant were to associate with Unitarians. One might say, These
are nice people, and I do not accept their heretical doctrine of annihilation
or whatever it might be; I repudiate that. Then I say to such a person, you are
a great deal worse than a person who is blinded. You are in the thing with your
eyes open. And so, personal clearness, if it is associated with evil, is worse
than blindness associated with evil. So, when they say -- We received this
person as an individual; he is personally clear. I say, What? personally clear
and yet associated with evil? What is his moral state, then?
B.C.G.--
Some would like scriptures to look up, possibly. As we cannot consider them all
this morning, and as this is a very important thing, and far reaching in its
consequences, I would like to call your attention to two or three which you can
'easily remember. The thirteenth of Deuteronomy, and just note very briefly the
points in it. It points really to a false prophet. That you could mark in
ver.1.
S.R.-- One interruption at the beginning. It is frequently
said: We object to this use of Old Testament Scriptures for New Testament
saints. The apostles trod on this ground themselves. When the apostle was
establishing an order amongst the Corinthians, speaking of the maintenance of
Gods servants there, he goes to the Old Testament for several Scriptures
to prove it; and inasmuch as God has laid down there principles for the
maintenance of what is due to His Name in connection with His people, those
principles are never altered or changed in any dispensation. If you cannot find
the same thing in the New Testament, it would be folly to go to the Old
Testament for it. And that is exactly how the apostles did themselves, and we
cannot teach any better. Is not the Old Testament the book of divine government
just as the New Testament is the book of divine grace? I mean broadly speaking.
And so when you get the principles of government you will find they are the
same from Eden down to the pearly gates of Heaven itself. Government is always
the same.
A.E.B.-- Only they become clearer with revelation. The fifth
Book, Deuteronomy, is the book of divine government -- not simply law -- law is
part of it -- so you go through the whole Book, and it is the book that opens
up the government of God in a marvelous way.
B.C.G.-- Here we have now
amongst a number of other laws, we might say, principles which some reject and
say: Some of these laws have passed away. But no moral principle' ever passes
away. It is true, that prohibition as to eating certain things which were
ceremonially unclean, have passed away, but the underlying principles have not.
We are to eat to the glory of God. Just as in this chapter, the first verse is
their relation to the prophet, and they were not to listen to him, for he leads
them away from God.
The sixth verse is their relation to a brother.
The prophet in the Old Testament answering to the teacher in the New; the
brother in the Old Testament answering to the brother in the New.
The
twelfth verse: "If thou hear say in one of thy cities." And a city in the Old
Testament would answer to a company -- a shut in company of Gods people
in the New. A city had walls, and just as a city had walls so the assembly has
its bounds, and the people outside are not in. That is sufficient. You can look
it up with care; I take it they are easily remembered. The thirteenth of
Deuteronomy is a sample case of how God called His people to refuse false
testimony; not to go on in fellowship with one disowning His name, and that the
same rule existing between brother and brother existed between city and city.
S.R.-- In connection with the city, we might add 2 Sam.20 from the
sixteenth verse. You have one wrong doer in a city who embroils the whole city.
The whole city is responsible for the presence of one wrong doer, and unless he
is judged, the people of God must be against that whole city. From the
sixteenth to the twenty-second verse. The whole tribe of Benjamin in the book
of Judges were all guilty on account of evil-doers allowed among them.
B.C.G.-- There is the principle announced in the thirteenth of Deuteronomy; the
application is given in that chapter of 2 Samuel. In the thirteenth of 1 Kings.
we have this lesson emphasized for us in connection with the division. This is
important. A division among the people of Israel, between the ten tribes and
the two, and how God chose a servant of His who was in Judah -- a man of God
out of Judab to go down to Bethel to bear testimony against an altar there
which was associated with idolatry. How was he to go? Sent by God, he was to go
and bear his testimony against it, and then his practice must be like his
testimony; what he said must be like what be did. See how serious the charge
was. Fat no bread and drink no water there, nor come back by the way you went.
Three pointed things: be was not to get any strength there; eat no bread. He
was not to be refreshed there, and he was not to come back upon the same track,
which would look as if he made a mistake in going there. He must come back
another way. He goes arid delivers the testimony faithfully, and when the king
tempts him with great reward to come into his house, he says, openly and
frankly, in the eighth verse -- "If thou give me half thine house I will not go
with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place." He holds
definitely to his original orders. I will do what I am told. And see how he was
holding -- "For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying: Eat no
bread nor drink water nor turn again by the way that thou camest." But now, the
next thing we see an old prophet of Bethel finds out what has happened and goes
out to him and tells him an angel has told him to go and get him back. Meantime
the Lords word seems to have weakened in this man's soul. He does not say
as he said to the king, "I will not," but "I may not return with thee nor go in
with thee" (ver.16). And he does not say, "It was charged me by the word of the
Lord," but he says, "It was said to me." Now there is something in that. In the
first case he realized under the solemn charge how he must not deviate a
hairs breadth from it. In the second case that does not seem to have the
same hold upon his soul and be goes back and dies under the judgment of God.
And the eighteenth verse, "The old prophet said unto him I am a prophet also as
thou art, and an angel has spoken to me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring
him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water; but
he lied unto him." He said he was a prophet too. I am like you -- I am just
like you; but then it was an angel only that spoke to him, so he said. Paul
says: "Though we, or an angel from heaven." Not an angel -- but the Word of
God. The written Word of God is better than all the prophets and all the
angels or anything else it is just the simple Word of God. We must not trust an
angel, against the Divine testimony. How careful we need to be as to all the
commands of God. "Barnabas was carried away by their dissimulation." He thought
a good deal of Peter, and when Peter just goes wrong, the whole thing was gone,
if it had not been that the apostle Paul stood for God. Barnabas was carried
away, so we have got to guard against those who are near and dear to us. If
they do go wrong, we have got to keep to Gods word.
S.R.-- To
not eat bread and all that, applies in many ways. People are put away from the
Lords table. If we have the truth as to the Lords table, we know,
that includes the whole life. But if putting away from the Lords table
means merely putting away from eating bread on Lords day morning, that is
not being put away at all. "Put away from among yourselves," is what the
apostle says, "the wicked person." As to companies of the Lords dear
people, of course, they are not wicked persons, let us remember that; and God
will never go with us in using stronger language than He does. Let us never do
that. Let us treat in all love, in tenderness and compassion, those with whom
we cannot be identified; but notice, "Not to eat bread there." Of course, that
would be, primarily, not to break bread. We could not go and break bread with a
company that is not clear. So we can only go and bear our testimony and then
come back. As our brother said, not treading the same path twice even, -- not
making it an accustomed thing even, -- just to go around and come back -- just
to circle through as bearing witness against a thing, in love, tenderness and
in meekness, seeking to deliver souls, but not going on with their course.