1.-the Nature of the Church

The church is not the succession, or even the assemblage, of all the saints who have lived from the beginning of the world to its end. It is " the body of Christ," formed by His Spirit at Pentecost, and gathering from that time onwards, which personally will be with its Head, before He comes to judge the world, and to establish therein His reign. It is, moreover, a mystery which was not revealed in other ages.
The one in which "the Church" is meant, i.e., the body of believers, which has Christ in heaven at its head: here it is looked at as - according to what it essentially is, and as one whole, -a body.
The other, which is a popular use of the word, is when it is spoken of more as in contrast with other things down here: in which case, very often, professing Christians, or heavenly saints - believers in the Messiah whom Israel has rejected, etc., would more accurately present what is meant.
In the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, etc., we have the doctrine of the Church. In Corinthians, Hebrews, Galatians, etc., we have doctrine, of all importance to individual believers, to Christians, who are members of the Church but not the doctrine of the Church, so much as the doctrine of the churches.
The noticing this is very helpful in the study of the Word, and will be so in the perusal of this article.
The Church did not exist, as such, until Pentecost; but the doctrine of the Church as the body of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Heavenly Head, was not known until Paul. Christendom is not that body; the Churches so-called are not that body, but are the fruit - not yet judged (from which, therefore, no believer can get separate)--of man's separation of the testimony raised by God at Pentecost, upon earth, from the vital blessing. We are in the place where God has set His testimony, and cannot get out of it: to pretend to get out of it is to rebel against God, and to deny the responsibility which clings to us. What we have to do is to separate ourselves, in the power of the real blessing we have in Christ, from all the evil which surrounds: and so walk with God, and those that judge themselves in His presence. As man has separated the form of the Church from the power - so will God finally separate the essence of the evil man has introduced from the form, and judge it in Babylon. Babylon and Christendom are not the same thing.-ED.)
So does the word of God teach us, and so also more particularly teaches Paul, - the minister of the doctrine of the Church, the medium chosen for the making known of the mystery.
" For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him" (Eph. 3:1-12).
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the savior of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject into Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church" (lb. v. 32).
"And He is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the Church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:18-27).
We remark then, that-
1st. The Church is entirely distinct from Israel in times which are past, and from Israel and the nations in the age, or world to come.
1. Israel was a people according to the flesh, separated in external things from all others, in a particular country which had been assigned to it as its abode.
The Church is a people drawn out of the midst of all others, although dwelling in the midst of them, dispersed over the whole earth, and in which all national characteristics are completely set aside.
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:26-29).
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2.11-22).
"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all" (Col. 3:11).
2. Israel's nationality was according to the flesh. Every one who was born of Israelitish parents, circumcision on the eighth day being duly observed, was an Israelite.
The Church's unity is according to the Spirit. It is neither pedigree according to the flesh, nor any ceremonial which makes a man to be a Christian, but only faith, and the being born of the Spirit.
" But at many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1.12, 13).
3. And not only so - but "the Church is the habitation of God through the Spirit," - " the temple of God," - as is also each member of it (1 Cor. Ili. 16; vi. 17; 2 Cor. 6.16; Eph. 20-22; 1 Peter 2:5). It is the "body of Christ" in which, Consequently, Ins Spirit dwells; as the spirit of a man dwells in his body (Eph. 1:22, 23; 4:4, etc.). And, therefore, it is that our worship is characterized by these words: "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), in contrast with the worship of Israel, which consisted " in shadows and Carnal ordinances" (Col. 2.17; Heb. 9.1-10).
Israel had, indeed, a habitation of God connected with it - in the tabernacle and in the temple; but the temple being itself " of this creation," was but a shadow of good things in the heavens, and the sacrifices therein offered were in connection with the blessings promised to Israel, that is, still " of this creation";-of lambs, of fruits, of wine, of oil, etc., and not spiritual sacrifices, as with us.
4. The royalty and the priesthood in Israel, pertained of right to one family, and were thus privileges according to the flesh. Every son of Aaron was priest on attaining a certain age, whatsoever his private character might be (Ex. 28:1; Lev. 8; Num. 18:1, 7-19). The Levites alone could serve in the temple and instruct the people (Deut. 33:10; 2 Chron. 30:22; 35:3).
We, on the contrary, have but one only High Priest in the heavenly places, even Jesus, as the epistle to the Hebrews spews us. All the members of the church are kings and priests, through the Spirit who is in them (1 Peter 2:5,9). As to ministry, it is the privilege of no family; is connected with, no position according to the flesh; but depends entirely upon the gifts which the Spirit distributes to every man severally as He will (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:6-11; 1 Peter 4:10-11.
5thly. In Israel, God would only be served in one place, there where He had placed His name (Deut. 12:11; 16:6, 6).
In the church, no places are holy upon earth. There where two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord, there is He in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20). There is another consequence of the dwelling of the Spirit in believers. The Spirit being in them, they are themselves the temple of God.
6thly. The covenant which was formerly made with Israel, at least, so far as they are considered as a people, was a covenant according to law and upon the condition of obedience ( Lev. 18:5; Ex. 19:5,6; Deut. 27:12-26; 28.)
The covenant, in connection with which, in some sense, the church stands, or we, who are of the church, stand, is a covenant of unconditional and free grace (John 3:16,17,36; Eph. 2.4-6, etc.)
7thly. The blessings of the covenant formed with Israel were all earthly blessings in the land (Lev. 26:3-12; Deut. 7:12-15; 8:7-18; 11:8-15, 21; 28:1-14).
The church is blessed, according to divine counsel and purpose, with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. (Eph. 1:3; Col. 3:1-4; Phil. 3:18-21). Upon earth she must needs expect afflictions and the cross (Matt. 16:24-26; Luke 14:26, 27; John 12:25,26; 15:18-21; 16:1-4; 2 Tim. 3:11-13).
8thly. Israel was called of God to make war with its the principle, too, of our blessing. The author, perhaps, felt a difficulty, in common with many minds, on which a remark or two may well be made here; viz., on the exact place assigned by Paul to the second covenant, in connection with the ministry committed to him. The covenants with Israel display God in government. The church is a heavenly counsel-not for the earth - the rich counsel of God.
The blood of the covenant once shed upon the cross, and the Lord risen - all was ready, on God's part, for the administration and establishment of the second covenant in pure, full grace. The Jew, with whom it was to be formed, would have nothing to say to God in grace. The spiritual grace which had prepared a way for the forgiveness of sins, and thus for the writing of the law upon their hearts (so that they might have all earthly blessings in the land) was there. The blood had been shed, the Lord was risen: when they still turned away, these blessings of grace and forgiveness stood fast for all that believed; yet an ascended heavenly Christ communicated rather spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, and this to whosoever should call upon the name of the Lord, than earthly blessings in the land. This regards us as individually saved by grace, and gives a most simple explanation to Paul's statements in 2 Cor. 3 and 4; and Heb. 8 and 10, about the second covenant- without at all putting us, as individuals, or the church (which stands on counsel and purpose from the foundation of the world), under it.
Perhaps confusion has arisen, also, in some minds from a careless use of the term " church," and from want of attention as to the difference in the epistles, some of which present the church in its corporate character, and us, of course, in it, as Eph., and others speak of believers in their individual character, as Gal., Heb., Peter. It is of all importance, on the one hand, not to put the church under the second covenant, which Paul never does, and on the other, to give the full place, which he does, to the second covenant, in connection with the ministry committed to him.- ED. enemies, and to exterminate them (Num. 10:9; Deut. 7:12,16 - 26).
But the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; no other sword should we know how to wield save that of the Spirit. And even if enemies of God are in question, the Christian must endure, as did once his Savior (2 Cor. 10:4,5; Eph. 6:10 - 17; Matt. 13:30; Luke 9:54,55).
Two periods, the characteristic traits of which are so different, can they be but one and the same period? In other words, can the church possibly be but the continuation of Israel?
It will be said, perhaps, " The church, as it now exists, is an improved development of the church in the times of Israel, and the church of the last days (in which Israel, as a whole, shall be saved, and the earth shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord) will still be an improved development of the church as it now is." But is it possible to use the term improved development as applicable to the substitution of one set of principles in the place of others which are often diametrically their opposite? And again, what becomes of the notion of one sole church, in progressive development throughout all periods of time, from the beginning, if the principal characteristics of the past economy re-appear in the economy which is to come? Now, this is precisely what the word of God teaches, with the exception of one or two points, in which there is a difference, even a contrast, between Israel of old and Israel in the last days. Thus:-
To begin with the differences: the covenant formed of old with Israel, at Sinai, was according to law, as we have already seen - the blessings being dependent upon obedience. The covenant which God will make with Israel in the last days will, on the contrary, be a covenant of grace - of unconditional and free grace. In this respect, it is new, by reference to the covenant of Sinai. And herein is found the reason of the continuance of the blessings of this covenant, so long as the heavens and the earth shall endure. Whereas, the blessings of the covenant of the law soon came to an end (Jer. 31:31-37; 33:11-26; Ezek. 37:25-28).
Moreover, the covenant, according to unconditional grace, is based upon the covenant already made with Abraham, four hundred and thirty years before the law; and this is the covenant to which the holy men of Israel, when speaking of the final blessing, always make reference, in the presence of God, and not to the covenant of Sinai (Psa. 105:8, etc.; Mic. 7:18-20, see the whole chapter; Luke 1:72,73). This may explain why the Lord Jesus is called " Mediator of the new covenant" (Heb. 9.15), that is to Israel hereafter; and His blood " the blood of
the new covenant" (Matt. 26:28); and the cup of the supper, " the new covenant in the blood of the Lord" (Luke 22.20). This may also serve to explain the use of Jer. 31:31-37, in Heb. 8:8-12; 10:16, 17).
Israel was the only people upon earth, with whom God entered into covenant. " Whose are the covenants" (Rom. 9:4), [to them alone pertain the two covenants], and whose God He proclaimed Himself to be. So will it NOT be in the age to come; on the contrary, " Many nations.... people" (Zech. 2:11). " Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar: for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people" (see Isa. 56:3,6,7). Rut then and this brings us back to the connection between Israel of old and Israel in the last days -
1. To the daughter of Zion only, the Lord has said-
"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again" (Zech. 2:10-12).
That is, among the nations, then all blessed, Israel will take its place of pre-eminence. Who can entertain a doubt of this, after reading, for instance, Isa. 14:1, 2; 49:21-23; 54:3; 60:3-16, etc.
2. As formerly the saints in Israel were called to exterminate their enemies, so will it be yet again. Even at the time spoken of in the Psalms -
"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Psa. 149:5,6; see also Mic. 4:13;5:8, 9; 7:10).
The wicked shall "be trodden down as the mire of the streets."
3. As in the last dispensation, God chose but one place upon earth where to reveal His name and receive the worship of His saints; so will He do yet again, and the place will be the same Jerusalem, " the city of the great king," concerning which He has said -
" Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (2 Chron. 7:15,16; see also Isa. 2:2,3; Jer. 3:17; Mic. 4:1, 2; Ezek. 20:40,41;43. 7; Zech. 8:1-3, 20-23; 14:16-21).
4. The worship of God will again assume, at least in several respects, the same characteristics of being earthly and for man as a creature upon earth, which it formerly had in Israel. Sacrifices and burnt offerings, and cakes and perfumes will again be offered, and again will the feast of tabernacles be kept (see the last citations and Jer. 33:17,18).
5. As before the calling of the Church, the blessings wherewith God rewarded His saints were earthly blessings, so will it be again in the last times. (Isa. 60; 61:4, 5, 6; 65:11-25: Jer. 31:12-14, 23-28; Ezek. 36:24-30; Hos. 2:18-22; Amos 9:13-15).
I would now, again, ask, Is it possible to turn these characteristics of the saints of the last times into those of the saints of the Church, without turning upside down instruction, the most positive, which the word gives concerning the Church, and the calling of those who are members of it?
Can Christians ever lay hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, to go and seek God at Jerusalem, and there keep the feast of tabernacles, Christians who have learned of their Master that in the Church, of Father is worshipped neither upon the mountain of Samaria, nor in Jerusalem, as such; but that God seeks those that can worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:21-24.)
Can Christians ever take the sword to avenge themselves on their enemies,-Christians to whom it is said-
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you " (Matt. 5:44).
Christians - can they ever, without inconsistency, expect to have their blessings upon the earth,-they to whom it is said-
" If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col. 3:1-4).
And are they, who, in the Church, have been taught that there is "neither Jew nor Greek" (Col. 3.11), once again to become men servants and maid servants to Israel - the laborers, vine-dressers, and rebuilders of the walls in ruins, etc.
Nor is this all. The Lord has said -
" And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father" (Rev. 2:26,27).
And we see the fulfillment of this promise (Rev. 20) in that the members of the Church, after having formed the retinue of the Lord when He comes to destroy the wicked one, live 'and reign with Him a thousand years, over those nations which Satan has not seduced. These nations, sheltered from the seductions of Satan, comprise, evidently, the saints of those blessed times when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. But if these saints are only a continuation of the Church -if they are, moreover, the Church itself, as some indeed say-what would be the result? Why, that a part of the Church would reign in heaven over another part of the Church upon earth. Can we admit this? Is this the unity of the body, as taught us by the apostle, when he says-
" There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4:4).
A single truth, once admitted, removes all these impossible incongruities, and scatters all these contradictions. The Church is the body of Christ, gathered by His Spirit, since the day of Pentecost, and which, when once completed, will be united to its Head in heaven, before that He will come to judge the world, and therein establish His kingdom. His Church once removed from the world, God resumes His long interrupted relationships with Israel, and, after having judged it, He, in grace, makes good all the promises He had given to Abraham and to the fathers. And that is the reason why, in the last days, we again find Israel in a position and with traits, in many respects, similar to those which it formerly bad. Only formerly, when under a covenant of law, it could not but soon lose the blessings which had been set before it; in the last days, under the covenant of grace made with Abraham, it cannot any more lose the blessings of which it will have become the subject.
But we will return to this again. For the present, let us continue our study of the nature of the Church.
2nd. The Church, a mystery - hidden from all ages -is not found in the Old Testament, save in, shadows and figures.
The church is " the mystery of Christ." " Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."... "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph. 3:4,5,6,9). " Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations; but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:26,27).
It may be asked - Is not the object of this mystery simply the call of the Gentiles? No; the simple fact of the Gentiles being called to the knowledge of God upon earth, is not a mystery concealed in the Old Testament; for at every turn one finds declarations similar to this. " And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). " All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations" (Psa. 22:27,28).
A fact thus clearly revealed is not a hidden mystery. But the call of certain elect ones from among the Gentiles, to be, together with some from among the Jews, " fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ in heaven, by the gospel" (Eph. 3:6): - Of this it may well be said - " Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:26,27, see also Col. 3.10, 11). Such, of a truth, is the mystery, never known to saint or seer in the Old Testament. And, indeed, if we study attentively that which they have said of the call of the. Gentiles, we shall see, among other things, that they always speak of whole nations, of nations as nations, with their princes and their kings; we shall see, too, that while fully recognizing God, and participating in the blessings He gives, these nations, nevertheless, have a place distinct from Israel; it is, too, as the result of terrible judgments poured out upon them by the Lord, that these nations are converted; none of which things could be said of us. We have also already remarked that the worship of these nations, when converted, differs from the worship of believers now. It was not then properly and specially of the call of the Gentiles in the church that the prophets spake, for that was to them a hidden mystery.
Why, then, do the apostles, in their teaching, use passages from the Old Testament prophets which speak of the call of the Gentiles? It may be because the special call of certain Gentiles to form, together with certain Jews, one and the same body, the body of Christ animated by His Spirit, is a particular fact included in the general fact of the call of the nations; just as the
First-fruits were included in the harvest (Deut. 26). For if there are earthly first-fruits (Rev. 14:1- 4), we are the heavenly first-fruits, " even we who first trusted in Christ (Eph. 1:12; James 1:18).
We are, in some sort, like that handful of corn, that basket of fruit, which the pious Israelite went to gather in his field to offer to God in the temple. Israel and the nations, converted in the latter days, are the harvest. That which was said of the harvest might be said, also, in many respects, of the first-fruits. Both the one and the other grew in the same soil, shared the same rain and the same sun; but in other respects there was a great difference; thus the first-fruits were gathered before the harvest, and belonged to God; the harvest, on the contrary, belonged to the people. Just so that which is said of Israel and of the Gentiles, converted in the latter days, can also be said, in some respects, of the saints now. They are the same sort of sinners, saved by the same name, for " there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). They are cleansed by the same blood, sanctified by the same word (Zech. 12:10-14, and 13:1; 1 John 1:7; Eph. 5:26).
Lastly, we are saved now, as Israel and the nations will be saved hereafter, by virtue of the purest, freest grace, and a work wrought by God, according to which - God will not remember sin but pardon iniquity; and this not by virtue of our works, nor as having ourselves found strength to fulfill our responsibilities according to the covenant of Sinai, which never any one did -but all of divine free grace. There are these correspondences, but there are, also, as we have already seen, points of difference; for instance, the church will be taken away before the conversion of Israel and of the nations; the church is blessed with spiritual and heavenly blessings - Israel and the nations with earthly blessings.
In each of these respects, one could not say of us that which is said of Israel and the nations. Moreover, let any one read, in the very writings of the prophets, the passages cited by the apostles, in connection with what precedes and what follows, and he will ordinarily find details which absolutely cannot be applied to us; the passages have only one side on which they are applicable; by this side it is that the apostles look at them, it is on account of it that they cite them.
For instance, in Rom. 15, Paul applies to us passages relative to the call of the nations, because the work, in his day, was, in a sense, a pledge and a commencement of that calling. The calling might be seen in it, just as in the first-fruits brought to the temple, the inhabitant of Jerusalem saw the pledge of the year's ingathering (See Lev. 23)
When the apostle, in writing to the Hebrews (chap. 8), cites Jer. 31:31-34, his object is to show that the covenant of works of Sinai, being insufficient to make anything perfect, was certainly to be replaced by
another covenant, that of unconditional grace. Now, the covenant in the age to come with Israel being such, the apostle, in writing to the Hebrews, could avail himself, under his then circumstances, of the words of the prophet.
When the apostle repeats his quotation (Heb. 10) it is in order to show that, an absolute pardon having been announced and promised, it was necessary that a great and perfect sacrifice, -such as that of Jesus,- should once for all have cleared the way for pardon. Now, as we have already seen, that is equally true of the Church's relationship with God, and also of the covenant with Israel in the last days. Yet it needs but to peruse the very words of Jeremiah, with the contexts, in order to see that they do not relate properly and directly to the Church. Thus, God said, " I will make a new covenant with the louse of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (ver. 31). Now, we are neither of Israel nor of Judah.
" Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (ver. 32). God never brought our fathers out of Egypt, nor made a covenant with them,-for we are sinners from among the Gentiles, concerning whom, on the contrary, it is said-" Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2.11, 12). Again, in that covenant, God promises that Jerusalem shall be rebuilt (Jer. 31:38) " from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate towards the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever" (vers. 39, 40). What is the application of all this to the Church or to ourselves?
Let us now, in following up our subject, take as specimens some of those passages in the prophets where there would be most reason to expect to find the Church spoken of, -and let us see if she is really to be found there, or if the passages themselves confirm what Paul says, that the Church is a mystery not revealed in other ages to the children of men.
The promise of God to Abraham, that all the families of the earth should be blessed in his seed (Gen. 12:3; 22:18, 28:14), is, in a certain sense, quoted in connection with Christians in Gal. 3:8, etc. But there is a restriction in the application. The application is not, in a sense, positive and absolute - as if the blessing of believers in Christ was exactly that which was promised - but the quotation applies in the extent in which believers in Christ form the first fruits of the conversion of the world. In the Church, it is one family out of a hundred, or out of a thousand, which has been blessed in the seed of Abraham, and not all the families of the earth: nor will they be so any more than they are now, seeing that, on the contrary, man goes on in his wickedness, growing worse and worse, seducing and being seduced, until the apostasy comes, and the man of sin also, whom the Lord will destroy at His coming (2 Tim. 3:13, 2 Thess. 2:3-8). But, when God says all the families of the earth, He means ALL the families, and not a small number from among them. This promise, then, has not its perfect accomplishment in the Church, but it will have it after the rapture of the Church, when the wicked one having been destroyed, " the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea " (Isa. 11:4-9).
And when the Lord said that Abraham saw his day and was glad (John 8:56) it was not of the Lord's first coming in humiliation that he spake. For how could the Father of the Faithful have been glad to see his Lord rejected and crucified by his own posterity in their unbelief; and to see that posterity, just chastisement of their unbelief, rejected of God and dispersed over the whole earth; their land under a curse and desolate? Yet such is the destiny of Israel during the Church's sojourn here below. But the day of Christ, which Abraham and all the patriarchs and the prophets saw from afar and hailed with joy, is that which the Word of God invariably calls by that name (2 Cor. 1:14, 2 Thess. 2:1), and that is the time of His glorious reign. In that day, not only shall all the nations of the earth be blessed in the seed of Abraham (Zech. 8.13, 20-23, Psa. 72:17), but that seed itself shall be multiplied as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea shore (Isa. 27:6; Jer. 31:27; 33:22; Ezek. 36: 9-11, 37, 38). It shall possess the gate of its enemies (Gen. 22:17). The last chapter of Micah from ver. 8 gives a splendid picture of that which the Holy Spirit Himself declares to be the realization of the truthfulness of God to Jacob, and of His free gifts promised to Abraham and to the fathers of olden time.
When Jacob spake prophetically upon his death-bed, " The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be" (Gen. 49:10). " the gathering" of which he speaks is not of the Church, but of the nations against Jerusalem in the last days of the age, in the thought and with the intention of destroying it, but, in truth, themselves there to be judged of the Lord ere they are blessed;-'tis one of the grand scenes constantly in view in prophecy (see Isa. 66:18, 19; Joel 3:2,11; Zeph. 3:8, 9; Zech. 14:2; Mic. 4:11-13; Matt. 25:31,32, etc.; Rev. 19:17-21).
It is, indeed, to this gathering and to this judgment of the nations that Matt. 25:31 refers; - where it is a mistake to introduce the Church, as if the Church already justified, risen and seated in heavenly places, had to appear in judgment with the wicked, to hear the sentence pronounced of its condemnation or of its acquittal, whereas it is said, that it shall never come into judgment. " Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life " (John 5:24). Neither is this gathering that of the last judgment as described in Rev. 20:11,12. (Compare especially Matt. 25:31,32, with Joel 3:12 and Jer. 3:17).
Then, when the nations shall have been gathered against Jerusalem, Judah shall devour as a lion on the right hand and on the left (Mic. 5:8, Zech. 12:1-8). Then, also, a little later, will be realized the pictures of temporal prosperity found in Gen. 49:11,12; Joel 3:16-18; Amos 9:13. And these were the hopes of the patriarchs, even the glorious day of the coming of their Lord to redeem his people, the children of Jacob and the posterity of Israel.
Analogous remarks might be made upon the prophecies of Balaam, Num. 23:7-10,17-24; 24:5-9, 17-19: on the songs of Moses, Deut. 32, of Hannah, 1 Sam. 2:1-11: of David, 2 Sam. 22 and 23: and in short upon the greater part of the songs of the Old Testament, to which we may add those of Mary and Zacharias in the New Testament (Luke 1:46-55, 68-79). These songs, which were given as suited to the particular circumstances of those who pronounced them, and which apply in measure to those circumstances, ordinarily stretch onward to the second corning of the Lord and to the establishment of His glorious reign upon earth, without stopping at the Lord Jesus as heavenly Head of His body the Church.
The second Psalm gives us a striking instance of this absence of the Church in the revelations of the Old Testament. " Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" (ver. 1).
Of a truth, as said Peter, "Who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:25-28). These words have then already had, at least, a first accomplishment in the rejection of the Lord. According to this, we might have expected to find that this Psalm spoke to us of the Church and its destinies; such would have been according to the natural order of events: but is it so?
Assuredly not. In the administration of the Church, Jesus is not King in Sion: so far from it, this is the time in which Sion is without a king, widowed and desolate. In the Church, God does not speak to the nations in wrath, and His Son does not break them in pieces with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter. On the contrary, Israel, having rejected its king, and being itself, on this account, set aside, God postpones His wrath, which, if it took its course according to this prophecy, would bring in the immediate judgment of the earth. He introduces a time of patience and of grace, during which He invites all men, without any distinction, to repentance, and faith unto salvation. The Son, so far as he is concerned, casts out none that come unto Him. 'Tis the time of the forming of the Church, passed over in the most perfect silence in the Psalm; and it is when these Christianized nations,-themselves trampling under foot the long-suffering of God,-will again be in league, under the direction of the Antichrist against the Lord; -'tis then, I say, that the prophecy of this second Psalm will again resume its testimony, and will have its perfect fulfillment. God will then speak in His wrath; will set His King upon Sion, and will give him all the kingdoms of the world as an inheritance (Rev. 11.15; 19:11, etc.; 2:26, 27).
The Psa. 110 is open to similar remarks. Eighteen hundred years have rolled on since the first word of this Psalm found its accomplishment in the ascension of the Lord Jesus, and His sitting down at the right hand of God. The rest waits still for its accomplishment. Without question Jesus is, from the moment named, the Great High Priest; but the blood of the victim was offered behind the veil, within the holy place; there He is invisible, and He is not come forth to bless the people. Recognized by God as the true Melchizedek, Priest and King, originator of righteousness and peace for the earth, He has been, and is; openly manifested as such He is not. Ere that he must first fulfill these words: " He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries" (ver. 6); as it is said, " I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy" (Deut. 32.42). He must, in short, destroy those who destroy the earth, which is by no means that which He does under the administration of the Church, in which He invites of sinners the very chiefest to come to Him that they may have life. Thus the prophet passes from the ascension of the Savior, directly to His return in glory to establish His kingdom upon earth, and says nothing about the Church which fills up the interval between these two events.
The eighth Psalm has also had the beginning of a fulfillment, when the multitudes who followed Jesus and the children of Jerusalem, cried: " Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matt. 21.8-16). Events were then in progress toward the fulfillment, but the rulers having suppressed this homage, having even stirred up the people to demand the death of Him who was among them as King, meek and lowly; the kingdom was postponed for a time yet to come.
" We see not yet all things put under Him," says the apostle to the Hebrews (2:8). That will not be fulfilled until the Lord Jesus, made manifest from heaven, will have renewed the world at His coming in glory; it is " the world to come," or the inhabitable earth to come (Heb. 2.5), described by the Psalmist, in which also all creation, delivered from the bondage of corruption, will praise the Lord (Rom. 8:20; Psa. 148). But as to the Church which came in between the ascension of the Savior and the establishment of the world to come, the Psalmist says not a word.
Isa. 11. The first two verses evidently describe the Savior in His first coming. Then, onward to the fifth verse, He is represented as the just and faithful Judge, which is His character at the time of His second coming (Rev. 19:11). " He shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth" (Isa. 11:3). Such is not His conduct in the Church, to which He promises persecutions and afflictions, with no other defense than that of faith, and the patient hope of His coming: but, once returned, " And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:8). Then, because He will have avenged His "elect which cry unto Him day and night" (Luke 18:7), it may be said, " I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found" (Psa. 37:35, 36). Then, in short, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, and the material creation will be renewed. Here then, again, it is the first coming of the Lord, knit up with the second coming to judge and establish His reign; the Church which fills up the interval between these two comings not being noticed.
Let us examine Dan. 9:24-27, without stopping at the beginning of the prophecy, on which we all are happily agreed:-
" Seventy weeks are determined upon Thy people and upon Thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the over-spreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
After sixty and nine weeks of years, Messiah (or the Prince) shall be cut off, but not for Himself [or, and He shall have nothing]. Compare this with, " Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength" (Isa. 49.4, 5). - That He has been cut off, we know. Well, then we read Dan. 9.26: " And the people of the prince that shall come [the people of the fourth monarchy, out of which the prince or leader (that is Antichrist) is to come] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." That also has had its accomplishment in the destruction of 'Jerusalem by Titus. Now, is it possible to place the seventieth week immediately after the sixtieth? The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, mentioned after the 'sixty-ninth week, although it came about forty years 'after the death of the Savior, has already put an interval between these two weeks. Then, if one could, in any sense, say that during the three years and a half which followed the death of Christ, the covenant of grace was confirmed with many, what is the sacrifice and what the oblation which then ceased? If it be said, 'the Jewish sacrifices'; in the thoughts of God they ceased at the death of the Savior, which rendered them useless, as was signified by the rending the veil of the temple in twain; in point of fact, they ceased with the destruction of the temple, which rendered them impossible; but in neither case was it three and a half years after the death of the Savior. " By the overspreading of abominations He shall make it desolate" [rendered in the margin, "Upon the battlements shall be the idols of the desolator"], is generally understood an idol set in the temple. But that could not be said of the army of Titus, for then the temple was burnt contrary to his will, and before it could be defiled by any idol; and then, again, that did not take place in the seventieth week. In short, what is said of this seventieth week remains inexplicable if it is made to follow immediately after the sixty-ninth. But if between the two is placed the whole time of the Church, as we have seen must be done in several other passages, then many of the difficulties disappear. After the sixty-ninth week the Christ was rejected, and that time which should have been blessing to Israel was, on the contrary, the time of its rejection. Thence onward, also, Israel not being any more recognized as the people of God upon earth, time CEASES TO BE COUNTED as to it,-" And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined" (ver. 26): this is the destruction of Jerusalem, the desolations which followed, and will not end but with the war, the controversy which the Lord will have with His people. These are the " many days" during which they are " without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim" (Hos. 3.4). This is precisely the time of the Church here below. But when once the Church is gathered into the heavens, God enters again into relationship with the people of the earth, first to judge, and then to bless them. Time, then, AGAIN BEGINS TO BE RECKONED for the earthly people. It is the seventieth week, or the time of Antichrist; for, inasmuch as they did not receive Jesus, who came in the name of His Father, there shall come another in his own name, and him they will receive. During the first half of that week (i.e. during three and a half years), he enters into covenant with many in Israel, whom he will gain by flattery. But in the second half, laying aside the mask, and wishing to be adored as God, he will make the daily sacrifice (the re-establishment of which he had sanctioned) to cease; and in the very temple where God ought to be served, he places the image of the beast, abomination which is the cause of desolation, since all those that refuse to worship it are put to death, until " that determined shall be poured upon the desolate" [or, rather "upon the desolator," as in margin]. That is, Antichrist shall fall smitten of the Lord Himself. Then are to be accomplished on "the people" and " the holy city" of Daniel, all the blessings spoken of in ver. 24. If we accept the translation proposed by some, " in order that criminality may be consummated, and the measure of iniquity filled up" (for to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin), it changes not the course of thought, because the measure of iniquity filled up brings in the judgment upon the wicked oppressor, and consequently the deliverance of the oppressed. This is the end of the indignation of the Lord upon Israel. The two halves of that last week are, then, the epochs which have so prominent a place in the prophecy, the time, times, and the dividing of time, the 1260 days and the 42 months (Dan. 7.25; 12:7; Rev. 11:3; 12:6, 14; 13:5).
As to Joel 2:28,32, quoted in Acts 2:16 -21, the perusal of the words suffices to show that they had not at Pentecost their entire accomplishment. If there was, then, an outpouring of the spirit, prophecy, and so a partial accomplishment, so that Peter could say, " This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel," there were neither wonders in the heaven above nor signs in the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke, the sun turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; and certainly there was not that great and terrible day of the Lord. What conclusion must we draw then? but that this prophecy, in strictness, referring to the setting up of the kingdom of Messiah, had, in the times of Peter, but a beginning of fulfillment, because the kingdom, then offered to Israel and soon rejected by it, made way for the church; and not until the return of the Lord will this prophecy resume its course of accomplishment, and have, as the kingdom itself, its perfect fulfillment. Then, in very deed, will there be signs in the heaven and upon the earth - the great and terrible day of the Lord, and an outpouring of the Spirit, which will be for Israel as the rain of the latter-day, as Pentecost was the former rain (Isa. 13:6-13; 28:6; Hos. 6:3; Zech. 12:10, etc.) And then will be found the fulfillment of Matt. 24 and Rev. 6-20.
In proof that, Israel restored in the latter days, and the church, are but one and the same, we often hear Amos. 9:11, 12, cited in connection with Acts 15:15-17. But in reading the end of that passage in the prophet, we see that, in such case, the church should be the conqueror of the nations, and of Edom in particular. We may remark, too, the words of James, "How God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name." But, then, when referring to the prophet, instead of quoting (ver. 11) "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen," etc., he says (Acts 15:16) " After this will I return and will build again the tabernacle of David," for " in that day" he substitutes, " after this will I return." Evidently James, speaking by the Spirit, does not apply the words of Amos to the church, but to the re-establishment of Israel. Indeed, he says, " God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name." Here we have the church plainly announced and defined; but it is James, and not the prophet, who thus announces it. Then, "after this" (after this economy of the church) " God will build again the tabernacle of David." This is Israel's restoration. "That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this," says Amos (9:12). "That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things," says James (Acts 15:17); the latter, doubtless, not wishing to arrest the thoughts upon the warlike exploits of Israel in the last days, clearly revealed fact as it was; but rather upon the conversion of the nations by the instrumentality of Israel. The conquest and the conversion of the nations come last.
No; the church, the body of Christ, is not in the Old Testament; at least, she is not there, save as in Christ, in whom she is shut in and hidden, as Eve was hidden in. Adam, before that God drew her forth thence. The church is to be seen there but in shadows and figures; now is the time for the taking of Eve out of the pierced side of Him to whom she is espoused, while He rests upon His Father's throne; that Bride that He shall present unto Himself a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing - that she may reign with Him over the creation then already blessed of God. She is again shadowed forth in Enoch, who, by faith, walked here below with God, whom God took before that the deluge of His wrath fell upon a world overwhelmed in sin. She may be seen in Rebecca, whom a heavenly steward, sent by the Father, is come to affiance to the well-beloved Son, whom he cheers with rich presents, and guides across the desert towards the abode of her Lord, who comes forth to meet her. But the heavenly mystery contained in these touching pictures, remained concealed, even from those who formed the chief actors in the history. That which the prophets of Israel announce clearly and without mystery, is the sufferings of Christ and the glories which should follow afterward (1 Peter 1:11). It is the kingdom which the Son of Man will establish at His coming in glory (Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14, 27), in which, also, all the kingdoms of the earth shall be subjected to Him, and shall serve Him: kingdom of God, because then the Lord will be king in all the earth (Zech. 14:9); kingdom of heaven, because it is from heaven He comes who establishes it (Dan. 7:13; Matt. 26:64). Then, too, will He manifest His glory in the highest of the heavens, in heavenly saints, as well as in those who are upon the earth. Kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6), because, then, Israel will hold the first place upon the earth, its sons being princes over the whole earth (Mic. 4:8,9), and pre-eminently because He who will then reign, is He who has, in grace, manifested Himself to the world as Son of David, and who then still bears the name of King of Israel (Isa. 33:20-22; Zeph. 3:14,15).
3rd. The first Mention of the Church in the New Testament, and its Formation by the Holy Spirit.
If we now turn to the New Testament, we find therein that the first mention of the church is in the teaching of the Lord in connection with His rejection by Israel. Afterward we find it formed by the Holy Spirit upon the foundation of Jesus, slain but risen from the dead -taking the place of Israel and of its kingdom, postponed from that moment to a later period.
It is, indeed, the King of this kingdom, and not the Head of the church, that the angel announces to Mary, when he says - " And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33).
Never was the Lord, in the church, found sitting upon the throne of David; neither has He reigned over the house of Jacob, which, on the contrary, has been rejected and without a king. But such was the promise to Israel (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 9:6,7, etc.; Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:15-17, etc.)
That which John the Baptist preached was the kingdom (Matt. 3:2); and all that followed in his preaching was in harmony with this beginning. He presents himself as the voice spoken of by Isa. 40:3, etc. " The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His path straight," and according to the prophet himself, " And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it," etc. Is that the church period? To answer " "Yes" would be to set John in direct opposition with Paul, who calls the church period the time of travail and groaning of the whole creation, and not only of the creation, but of us also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, and he gives no other end to these groanings than that of the redemption of our bodies; that is to say; our change to glory at the coming of the Lord (Rom. 8:19-23). Ah! the time when every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; when the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, is in strong contrast with what we now see -in contrast with the time of creation's groaning - for it is the time of refreshing that is to come from the presence of the Lord the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19 - 21). Then will the day of the Lord of hosts be " upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up" (Isa. 2:14, etc.) Then will He fill the earth with the knowledge of Himself and of His glory (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14), just according to John Baptist's announcement. So, again, when He says, " Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable" (Luke 3:17). These words carry us forwards to the time of harvesting; for in the east the winnowing of the wheat and the purging of the floor come immediately after the harvest, and form part of it; in no case could they possibly precede it. Now, " the harvest is the end of the age" (Matt. 13:39; read from 37-43). It is then the judgment exercised by the Lord at the end of the present age, when He will destroy those that corrupt the earth, and will establish therein His kingdom; John announced not the church in this place. At the time he spake of, it will have finished its course here below, and will be with the Lord.
When, also, He cried, saying, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29); this, in a certain sense, includes the church, because the church is included in the world; but it will not have its full accomplishment save in the world to come; when the world, as a whole, will partake of the benefits of the sacrifice of Jesus. Now, He is the propitiation for our sins - for the sins of us who are members of the church. Then He will be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). This was doubtlessly given to John to see in prospect.
Thus John, like all the ancient prophets, looking upon the earthly people of the Lord, saw, through the Holy Ghost, the great and splendid things which the Lord would accomplish on the earth, when He should establish His kingdom; but the Church, in that which is distinctively peculiar to her, her calling, walk here below, her rapture, etc., was still for John a mystery hidden, Jesus alone, who came down from heaven, could reveal these things. Such, I doubt not, is the force of that word of John himself. " He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all" (John 3:31). And here, also, it may be remarked, that not only did John not present himself as the Bridegroom or the Messiah; but that he also did not claim to be the bride or part of it; he calls himself the Friend of the Bridegroom (read John 3:28-32).
John summoned Israel to repentance, in order to prepare the way for the glorious kingdom of the Lord which he proclaimed; but the rulers, in rejecting the baptism of John, "rejected the counsel of God" against themselves (Luke 8:30). And, doubtless, it was a sore trial to John not to be able to understand that the kingdom which he had announced was interrupted by the rejection of Jesus, even as Elijah could not bear that his testimony should remain without effect as to the conversion of Ahab and Israel (1 Kings 19:3-15; Luke 7:19-28).
Jesus himself began His preaching, saying, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 4:17). " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15). And in truth the seventieth week of Daniel was there. The time of the kingdom and of all the blessings was come. In order that Israel might enter upon possession, it was only needful to obey the call of the Lord; "to repent and believe the gospel," "the gospel of the kingdom of God" (ver. 14).
Let us follow the Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth on the sabbath day. He opens the book of the prophet Isaiah and reads, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord " (Luke 4:18,19).
Well, if we now read Isa. 61, we shall see that it clearly proclaims the return of the favor of the Lord upon Israel, and all the blessings which pertain to the sabbatical year and the jubilee; the forgiveness of debts, the liberty of the captive, the rest and blessing of the earth (Ex. 23:10,11; Lev. 25; Deut. 15). It was then the true jubilee, that is to say, the kingdom with all its blessings which Jesus proposed to Israel in applying the words of Isa. 61:1, 2. John Baptist and Jesus Himself had, in a sense, preached the day of atonement, in saying, Repent ye, etc. (Lev. 25:9,10; 23; 27) It is, then, after the atonement of the jubilee, that is to say, -after the humiliation of repentance, the kingdom with all the blessings which Jesus brings to it in announcing, " This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
But why does the Lord stop, closing the book, before these words, " And the day of vengeance of our God." Just because He brought not vengeance but the blessing. If Israel had received Him then, the promises made through the prophets might have been fulfilled; but we know what reception he met with under. those very circum- stances. Wrath quickly supplanting, in the inhabitants of Nazareth, the passing feeling of admiration, they sought to cast him down from the height on which their
city was built. Thus, as Israel, not knowing the day of its visitation, has rejected its king, who came to it meek, not breaking the bruised reed, nor quenching the smoking flax; it must see Him coming to it preceded by great and terrible signs -" men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:26, read the chapter). " For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:22; Isa. 34:8; 63:4). That will be "the great and the terrible day of the Lord" (Joel 2:31; Mal. 4:5); and then only will it be that the children of Israel having kept the day of atonement (Zech. 12:10-13:1), the true jubilee will come. " And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in " (Isa. 58:12). " But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves" (Isa. 61:6).
In the meanwhile, it is the Church which, having taken the place of the kingdom rejected by Israel, enjoys spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
That which Jesus preached at Nazareth, He preached also from place to place. " And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people " (Matt. 9:35). When He chose the twelve, He gave them power over the unclean spirits to drive them out, and to heal all sorts of sickness and infirmities, power even to raise the dead,-then He bade them not to go unto the Gentiles, nor to enter into any city of the Samaritans, but to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to say to them," The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 10.7). A similar commission is given to the seventy, and when they were not received in any city, going out into the streets they were to say, " Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you " (Luke 10:11).
But as Israel had rejected the forerunner of its King, so it rejected its King Himself and His apostles. " But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me" (Psa. 81:11). And Jesus had to say-
"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children " (Matt. 11:16-19).
And it is only after this, be it remarked, that Jesus begins to speak of the Church.
" When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it " (Matt. 16:13-18).
Peter had found grace before God to recognize Jesus, not only as the Son of David 'or the Messiah of Israel, but also as the Son of the living God, and having confessed Him as such, Jesus answers that confession by a new revelation, almost as if He had said: It is so true that I am the Son of the living God, that not only the gates of Hades (the unseen world, where are the spirits of men after death, Isa. 38.11), shall not withstand me; not only after having descended thither, I shall come forth conqueror, but I shall cause my Church also to come forth thence; " For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself" (John 5.26); " For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will" (John 5:21); " because I live, ye shall live also " (John 14:19).
Thus we have here, the first notice of the Church and of its participation in the life of its Head, slain, but raised again from the dead. It is very nearly the same truth as the Lord a little later recalls to mind for the consolation and encouragement of His beloved disciple. " Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:17,18). And notice, the Lord does not say, " I have built," but " I will build my Church." Would the Lord have spoken thus if the Church had existed already from the commencement of the world? No: and more than that, at that hour, even the foundation of the Church was not laid, for;hat foundation is Jesus rejected, crucified, raised from the dead, and received up into glory. Also, " From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16:21). Thus knitting up the truth of his rejection, death and resurrection inseparably with the Church.
And a little further on:-
" Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Here, in declaring that " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (ver. 20), the Lord lays down a fundamental principle of the church, which may help us to comprehend its nature; and on which we are happy to be able to lean, in the midst of the wreck of the present day.
True is it, that a little later, Israel seemed for a moment ready to receive its king. The multitude, learning that Jesus was come to the feast, went forth before Him, crying " Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9). And the children cry in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (ver. 15). And when certain Greeks, among them that came up to worship at the feast, desire to see Him, a voice from heaven comes from on high and bears witness to Him (John 12:20,21,28). All seems in progress towards His manifestation. But the leaders of the people again succeed in stifling the convictions and suppressing the movement, and thus they hinder the deliverance of Israel and the world. They even call the Lord in question, as to His authority. Then, too, the Lord openly proclaims their rejection. In the parable of the vineyard and husband-men in Matt. 21:33-46, He makes them pronounce judgment on themselves. " They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons" (ver. 41). Then " Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? 'Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them" (Matt. 21:42 - 45).
Thus the stone is first upon the earth. Whosoever shall fall on it shall be broken. This evidently is the Lord Himself, according to the doctrine of His first coming, which was a scandal and a stumbling-block to Israel, and is so still to the world. As Peter speaks, "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12). But afterward the stone falls; it has then been lifted up on high, and on whomsoever it falls it grinds him to powder. This is the Lord, according to the doctrine of His coming back in glory to set up His kingdom by the destruction of His enemies; it is the stone "cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron. and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Dan. 2:34,35).
For " in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure" (Dan. 2:44,45). The church is that which is built upon the stone during the time of its rejection; the church, a spiritual house" built upon the living stone, " disallowed, indeed, of men, but chosen of God and precious" (1 Peter 2:5,4).
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.... From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16.18, 21). "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the -word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:4-10).
The kingdom is that which will be built upon the stone, when come down from heaven and having destroyed its enemies. " Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste" (Isa. 28:16). Psa. 118 is a song for that kingdom; how fitting too.
"I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord" (Psa. 118:21- 22).
Similar truth may be seen in Luke 19:11 - 27, in the parable of the nobleman who went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return - instruction which the Lord gave, " because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear" (ver. 11).
After having pronounced the woe of the blind leaders of the blind, Jesus takes sorrowful leave of Jerusalem. " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. 23:37 - 39).
But it is clear it was not a final farewell forever, for "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (ver. 39). As the Lord had said by the prophet, " I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early" (Hos. 5:15). The time, then, will come wherein Israel will return again to its king and its God, and seeing Him again coming to it, will hail Him again with the cry, " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Psa. 118:26).
" For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days" (Hos. 3:4,5). The kingdom is postponed until then, and the church now holds its place, being, in one aspect of it, the kingdom in mystery.
We know what Israel did to its king; it delivered Him into the hands of the Gentiles to put Him to death, crying, " Crucify him, crucify him." When Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "we have no king but Caesar." Instead of a diadem they gave Him a crown of thorns; instead of a scepter, a reed; and instead of a throne, a cross; but on that cross the shame of his enemies was plainly set forth in Greek, in Latin, and in Hebrew, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"; as if to proclaim to the wide world that if thence onward Israel was without a king, it was not the King who had failed His people, but the people who had rejected and crucified its King.
Israel had come, like its forefathers, in Num. 13; 14, though in another sense, to the borders of the land of promise. The kingdom of heaven was at hand, had been offered to it; but by its unbelief, it hindered, as its forefathers had, the fulfillment of the promise, and now, before it can be fulfilled, "the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim" (Hos. 3; 4). " And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face" (Ezek. 20:35).
Nevertheless, Jesus, upon the cross, prayed for His murderers: " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And, as if in answer to this prayer, the kingdom is again offered to them. For if the words of Peter mean anything they imply this.
"And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had spewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, so many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts hi. 17 - 26).
But if some believed, the mass, alas! hardened themselves against the voice of the apostle, as they had done against the voice of his Master.
Yet once more Stephen makes an appeal to Israel as to the people of God, and charges them not to follow the example - of the patriarchs, who, moved with envy, sold Joseph, whom God had raised up to be a savior of his own family, and of the world - or of the Israelite in Egypt, who said to Moses, " Who made thee a prince or a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday" (Acts 7:27, 28). " This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush" (ver. 35). But more hardened even than their fathers, the Jews stoned Stephen and sent him, in a sense, after the Lord, as the servant in the parable, " We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). From that time onward, the body which the Holy Spirit had formed of the children of Abraham, gathers into itself numbers from among the Samaritans and the Gentiles, as may be seen in the eighth and tenth chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. And, then, that which takes the place here below, which the kingdom held, assumed the characteristics of the new man: where there was neither Jew nor Greek. At the same time, from the midst of the murderers of Stephen, God picks out him who was to be the minister of the church, the minister of the mystery hid from ages and from generations. "Whereof I Paul am made a minister (Col. 1:24,29). And it seems as if, in his very call, he had to learn to know the church as the body here below of Jesus slain but raised again from the dead. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" says the Lord to him; and when Saul replies, "Who art thou, Lord?" the Lord's answer is, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts 9:4,5). The church had, in reality, commenced before Paul, yet without intelligence as to it in those who formed part of it. Peter, for instance, when bade to carry the word to the Gentiles, complied - yet, in some respects, unwillingly, without intelligence; he gave not himself heartily, so to speak, to the work, until he saw the Holy Ghost given to the Gentiles, after that they believed; this fact convinced him that he had no right to refuse the water of baptism. "Who was I that I should withstand God?" Peter clearly understood the fact that Gentiles were saved by faith; but he did not thence deduce the idea of the unity of believers in but one body with Christ. It was reserved to Paul to be the minister of this mystery - which, without a doubt, he means when he speaks of "my gospel" (Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 2:8).
And thus we find ourselves again at the point from which we set out - the teaching of Paul as to the nature of the church, which we can now better understand.
4th. Summary of the Doctrine of Paul as to the Special Nature of the Church.
1. The most important of all his instructions, that which in a sense contains all the rest, and to which Paul also most constantly reverts, is that the church is " the body of Christ." "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1.22, 23; see, also, Eph. 2:15, 16; 3:6; 4:1-16; 5:23-32; Col. 1:18, 24; 1 Cor. 12:12-27).
Now, could this body exist before that Jesus had been rejected? No; for we have seen, in various parts of Scripture, that when Jesus came, Ile came to sit upon the throne of His Father David, to reign over the house of Jacob. Such was the ostensible object of His coming; and not that of forming a body of sinners redeemed from among all nations. Therefore, as we have also seen, he associates the idea of the church with that of His rejection by Israel; the church is the house built in spirit upon the rejected stone, during a parenthesis in which time is not counted. Paul also teaches us that it is by the blood of Christ that they who were afar off were brought nigh, to form together with those that believed of them that were nigh, "one new man"; " for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby" (Eph. 2:15, 16). Caiaphas, prophesying by the Spirit, taught that Jesus was to " die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (John 11:51,52). This gathering together in one of the children of God, in other words, the body of Christ is then a fruit of His death.
But the Church is not the body of a Christ that is dead and gone, or even of a Christ upon earth that may yet die,-it is the body of Him who was dead, but is alive again, being raised from the dead; who consequently cannot die any more, but liveth forever and ever (Rom. 6:9; Rev. 1:17); and let it be distinctly noticed that the Christ who is given as head of His body is a Christ raised from the dead, seated at the right hand of God, " Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:20-23). This body of Christ then could not exist before that Christ Himself was raised from the dead, and glorified.
Lastly, the Church being the body of Christ, the Spirit of Christ must needs dwell in it, and animate it as the spirit of a man dwells in a man. And so we are taught in these words: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3.16). "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor. 6.19). " Ye are the temple of the living God" (2 Cor. 6:16); see also Eph. 2:21,22, and 4:4; 1 Peter 2.4, 5, etc. Now, it was meet that a man-just and glorified, human nature-in the person of the Lord, should be in heaven, in order for the Spirit to be able to come down, and dwell in such poor sinners as in a temple. " In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39). "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (lb. 16:7).
This body of Christ, animated by the Holy Spirit, could not have existed before the Spirit was sent down from on high. This in no wise interferes with the unquestionable truth, that saints of all times were taught, formed and sanctified by the Spirit of God; by Him also men of God have ever been moved to speak: but never of any of them, or of any union of any of them, was it previously said, they are the body of Christ, members of His body, the temple where His Spirit dwells.
2. Again, Paul tells us that the Church is " built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone: in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye are also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:20-22). Now are the prophets of whom mention is here found those of the Old, or those of what is called the New Testament? (Acts 13:1 and 1 Cor. 12 and 14) We shall soon be convinced, that it is the latter, and not the former, who are referred to, if we remark that they are always named after the apostles-" built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2.20).
" Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5). " He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ib. 4:10, 11, 12). "And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" (1 Cor. 12:28,29).
In this last passage, the apostles and prophets are expressly said to be in the Church. And in Eph. 4:11, it is said they are a result of the ascension of the Lord. And Paul says, speaking of gifts to the Church of Corinth, "Are all apostles? Are all prophets?" Thus we see clearly, that in these passages the allusion is not to prophets of olden times, but to those of the Church. The Church, then, that is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets of a risen and ascended Christ, cannot be the unity of all those who have believed since the foundation of the world, the greater part of these having lived before the said apostles and prophets, and it having been impossible for them to be built upon this foundation. This in some respects tends to confirm and develop what we adverted to in the Word of the Lord to Peter: " Upon this rock will I build my Church." He says, not have built, but will build.
3. According to Paul, the Church is raised as a new man upon the ruins of a middle wall of partition, namely, the law of ordinances, which had previously separated Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2.11-22). But while that middle wall still existed, could the Church exist? In other words, could the Church, in which there is neither Jew nor Greek, exist, when, so far from there being no wall of partition, there was a deep and impassable line of demarcation drawn between the Jews and Gentiles? Will it be able to continue hereafter, when that line of demarcation, though less exclusive and less rigid, will still exist, as we have seen will be the case here below in the age to come?
4. Lastly, Paul teaches us: " And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11, 12). Now if the Church includes all the saints from the beginning of the world, how comes it to pass that the apostle, when speaking of the gifts which the Lord has made to the Church for its edification, makes no allusion to patriarchs, kings, and prophets of the old covenant? Did not these serve for the profiting of the saints in their times? Most surely: but for Paul the Church is the body of Christ, animated by the Spirit at Pentecost, and which was in existence only from that time. Therefore it is that he speaks only of gifts and ministries communicated by the Spirit since Pentecost, as the context clearly shows.
Yes, there is a Church which is neither the continuation of Israel, nor Israel restored, and the nations blessed in the age to come; but is the complement of those who, during the time Of Israel's rejection, are drawn by the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ, seated in heaven- to be His bride, His body, a new man, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, scythian, bond nor free; but Christ all and in all (Gal. 3:27,28; Col. 3:10,11). In that Christ " made Himself of no reputation,". etc. (Phil. 2:7,8), THEREFORE it is, that-
"God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father " (Phil. 2:9-11).
God has raised Christ-
" from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:20-23).
Thus, that place of glory, which Jesus has, through humiliation and suffering, won for Himself, as Son of Man, at the right hand of God, His, as Son of God, it ever was (John 17:5), is our blessing. His being set at God's own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but in that which is to come, is the security of His body the Church: thus it can be said, " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). " Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5,6).
As being of His body, members of Him who is now seated at the right hand of God in the heavens-His Spirit uniting us to Him, we are looked at as already in some sort, that is according to the Spirit, in the heavenly places. For such was the place which the Father's love assigned to us when He chose us before the foundation of the world, us, who were but dead as members of the family of the first Adam, that He might unite us in an indissoluble union to Christ, the Prince of life.
'Tis here we find what is our righteousness, peace, and the anchor of our hope, " Our life is hid with Christ in God " (Col. 3:3). Who shall deprive us of it?
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 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? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:27-39).
"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above): Or, who shall descend into the deep (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Rom. 10:6-8).
May we feed on these precious truths! In proportion as we do so, we shall be able to live the life of those that are raised from the dead, dead in ourselves, to sin and the world, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Being the body of Christ, His bride, " bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh": we are " His fullness or complement" - "the fullness of Him that Hall all in all." For the aggregate of the members, the very least of them not excepted, is necessary to the Head to complete the body. A head is not a body without the members; and a body is not complete, though it have a head, if but one single member be wanting. The bride renders the Bridegroom complete; He is not complete without His bride; She is His glory- "The woman is the glory of the man" (1 Cor. 11:7). Thus is it with the Lord Jesus; in a certain sense, He will not be " the perfect man, will not have come to the measure of the fullness of His stature" (Eph. 4:13), until His body shall be completed by the entrance of the last member of the redeemed. Then will the Second Adam " present it unto Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish " (ver. 27) and He will find His glory in her, as it is said: " He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe" (2 Thess. 1:10), and with her He will reign over Israel and the nations, and share with her His inheritance.
Is it asked, Why has the Lord called the Church to so high a position far above every other category of the blessed? The primary cause of this vocation, as also of the individual calling of each of us, is found in the good pleasure of God. Why, indeed, have we received the love of the truth that we might be saved, we, who now believe, but because He "predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Eph. 1:5).
Well, in vain shall we seek for other reason for the calling of the Church. We must, after all, in the one case as much as in the other, come back to this: "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight " (Matt. 11:26). Yet the Word does reveal to us the end, which God has proposed to Himself herein. This was to be-
"to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6). "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7). "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:9-11).
And how greatly does this yet magnify the thoughts which we may have of the Church and her calling! To be a monument to the praise of the glory of His grace, to the setting forth to those in the heavenly places His manifold wisdom, to the exceeding riches of His grace, in ages to come.
If the belief in this high calling seem to any to be pride, be it remembered that the ways of God are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts " (Isa. 55:8,9). And be it specially remembered, that true humility does not consist in rejecting, upon the plea of our own utter unworthiness, the free grace of God, though Peter seemed to think so when he said, " Thou shalt never wash my feet" (John 13:8). Of what are we worthy? Humility consists rather in adoringly receiving that which
God says, and in setting it altogether above all our most familiar thoughts, above the oldest and most established traditions, and above the most revered instruction; as, said Mary, " Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). In this spirit, let us receive the instruction which the Word gives us concerning the Church. Let us humble ourselves, and what more suited to humble us than the contemplation of the immense grace of God, set in contrast with all our wretched misery? How, while so occupied, can we avoid saying, "For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what East thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Let us humble ourselves then, but let us do so in full faith; let us adore and worship; and by the contemplation of the unsearchable riches of the love of God, may we be strengthened to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called.