01.10. ESSAY NO. 10

ESSAY NO. 10 Our last study closed with the seven facts that con­stitute the fundamental, common ground of the or­ganic unity of the church. Order and unity are basic in all the work, both physical (Genesis 1:2) and spir­itual, of "The Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us" (2 Timothy 1:14). Without this inherent unity, derived from the Spirit, there can be no church or Christian fellow­ship. The Spirit by his teaching, praying, indwelling presence, and supplementary work gives to the church as its birthright this unity, keeps it against perver­sion, and expects the church to keep its outward man­ifestation "in the bond of peace" and brotherly love. If it does not do so, the church becomes flagrantly incomplete and ineffective. An Incomplete Local Church The church in Corinth was "the church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2); though it lacked the outward bond of peace and harmony, its organic unity was still intact. Since no church in this abortive condition can func­tion properly, the burden of Paul’s letters to this church was that it might make its acquired conduct of a piece with its innate unity. And he gives the secret of this complete oneness, on the human side, when he counsels Christians to walk "with all lowli­ness and meekness, and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). These strange, new Chris­tian graces dig the very ground from beneath human merit, self-importance, envy and strife over position and leadership and the love of fame, "That last in­firmity of noble mind" (Milton). Where these graces prevail, the glory of all human pride lies in the dust, dead. And because the lowly minded are the like-minded, disruption of even outward unity among hum­ble brethren, absolute in their commitment to the "one Lord," is impossible. But until pride, "the mother sin," the ruin of angels and of men alike, is slain (and it is slain only at the foot of the cross), saints cannot manifest their constitutional unity in worthy conduct. Where God’s "will is done, as in heaven, so on earth" can pride and worldliness remain?

Christ the Magnificent Giver

Under one central control, man’s body is an organic unity, but there is much diversity of ability and work among its members. "So also is Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12). Immediately after discussing the organic unity of the church, Paul takes up the diversity among its members (Ephesians 4:7-16). The importance of under­standing the inter-relationship of these two is shown by Paul’s discussing the matter in several of his epis­tles. Because brethren have not always understood it, much discord and unworthy conduct have plagued the church, throughout the centuries until now, to its un­told injury. The passage begins: "But unto each one of us (not a soul slighted) was the grace given ac­cording to the measure (size) of the gift of Christ." Adam Clark’s comment, "Grace may here signify a particular office . . . and the office is according to the free gift, each suited to the other," seems to rep­resent Paul. In this passage Christ is the giver of five kinds of work, each kind accompanied by its cor­responding opportunity and enabling "grace." He is said to give the men who fill the offices and do the work, "dividing to each one severally even as he will" (1 Corinthians 12:11). How can a brother who believes this envy a brother who may have a gift superior to his? Truly, Christ is a magnificent giver. Christians who say they have no gift, should cease repining and arise to "possess their possessions" (Obadiah 1:17). In the beginning of the Christian era, Christ gave his church miraculous gifts, as needed. When the mi­raculously endowed apostles and prophets had finished their appointed task of founding and starting the church on its age-long crusade, a work that need never be repeated, they were discarded. Nevertheless, Christ, without miracles, continued to give his church, each succeeding generation until now, ever needed evange­lists, pastors, and teachers. What more can Christ do for his church than he has done and is doing? He, who "according to the riches of his grace" and "unto the praise of his glory," long ago "gave himself for us" (Titus 2:14), and is still giving himself, has ever been and is now desirous of giving more than his peo­ple have ever been or are now willing to receive. If we are "miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17), it certainly is not his fault.