F.E.R. It is important to apprehend the light in which Christ is presented in this epistle. Each epistle takes its character from the peculiar light in which Christ is presented in it. This is very important. The epistles are quite different from the gospels. The former give us the light of what Christ is where He is now on high (especially in Paul's epistles); but in the gospels it is what Christ was here on earth. Testimony is to what is about to be displayed. The testimony of the Christ is what Christ is in relation to the "all things" -- Christ is Head in Colossians. He is Head of creation, for He created all, and all were created in view of that; and therefore, if He became man, He must be pre-eminent. He has creation rights; but there is another ground on which He is Head -- He takes all up on the ground of redemption.
We get the same two Headships in Revelation 4 and 5. He is Head on creation ground, and also on redemption ground.
F.E.R. All things are to be brought into reconciliation and into unity and harmony; and that can only be by being taken up in the Head. He has made peace by the blood of His cross. He has removed all that brought in the confusion and lawlessness, in order that all might be brought into reconciliation. What comes under the eye of God is Christ; He is the Head, and all things are taken up in Him.
The reconciliation of the world is based upon the fact that man is taken up in the Head. The judgement of God will be brought in because man sets up a rival head instead of accepting the divinely-appointed Head.
Ephesians follows Colossians. In Colossians you get all things reconciled in Him and so brought into divine complacency; and then in Ephesians you get Christ filling all things.
Why are the rights of creation brought in?
F.E.R. If God had not the right of Creator, He could not have the right of Redeemer. All things were created by Him and for Him, and hence, Christ must have all on creation ground. God is going to have His rest in His creation. He never gives up the right of Creator. Redemption has come in, but things are not all brought under the power of redemption; for instance, our bodies are not brought under the power of redemption. We await it; our souls have come under the power of it. The thought of reconciliation, i.e., the saints brought under divine complacency, runs all through the epistle, "You hath he reconciled". It is the saints brought under the eye of God, into divine complacency. In chapter 3, what marks the circle are the graces of Christ. It is Christ under the eye, or the saints brought under the eye of God in Christ. The object of the apostle's ministry was that every man might be presented perfect in Christ. He could come into this creation with a universe hid in Him. You get a Babe laid in a manger; but everything was hid in Him. The church was to come forth from Him. There was nothing manifest while He was a Babe; but the heavenly hosts say, "Glory to God in the highest". It is wonderful how God sets to work to bring to pass a universe which is according to Himself, out of the wreck and ruin of this. And how does He do it? By the introduction of a Babe! but with resurrection inherent in Him; so He says, "I am the resurrection and the life".
Rem. So it is Himself who is everything.
F.E.R. To study the gospels from the point of view that He was greater than every man, is what has been before me lately. He walked on the water. He
fed the multitude. He knew every man -- whatever kind of man came before Him He read. I have been thinking of this lately.
Rem. This company (that is the Colossians) were prepared to receive the truth.
F.E.R. Yes, the Spirit of God addresses people according to their state -- the Corinthians were -- so, too, the Galatians; and I think the principle goes through. It is so in Philippians and Ephesians, and in this epistle likewise.
What is the hope laid up in heaven?
F.E.R. It is the hope of God's calling which you get in Ephesians. The Lord says, "I go to prepare a place for you".
Rem. The inheritance is reserved in heaven.
F.E.R. Yes; it is because we have a place in heaven that we come into the inheritance. The Hebrews had lost everything here; hope on earth had fled, and you get a hope laid up in heaven. God did not come in to give the Gentile the Jews' portion, but He came in to give both Jew and Gentile a common portion, a hope in heaven. "Fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us". We must get our place in heaven, it could not be that the saints should be manifested with Christ unless we had our place in heaven. We get our place in heaven by grace given to us. The three principles are brought in here: faith, hope, and love (see verses 4 and 5). We get the thought of association with Christ, and that in connection with earth, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me" ... "the oil of gladness above his fellows". If we are His companions, and He has taken a place in heaven, it involves our having a place there. He has entered, and He is the Forerunner, and we are following. Christ is the goal. Wherever Christ is, He will have companions. I think we have to accept the thought. The Lord said to His disciples, "Ye are they which have
continued with me in my temptations; and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom", etc.; Luke 22:28 - 30. God has been gathering a company for heaven ever since sin came in. The assembly has a distinctive place; but, at the same time, God was working to gather a company for heaven. Revelation 5 proves this; there we get the four and twenty elders. The Old Testament saints might have had a hope of heaven, but now all is definite, because Christ is there as Man.
What is "Rejoice in hope of the glory of God"?
F.E.R. That is a wider idea. It is looking for the moment when God will shine out, and dissipate all the darkness. He will shine out in moral effulgence and glory. The world to come will take its character from that. The hope here is more definite. We have a place in heaven. If we had not that place, what promise should we have? I think saints have had heaven before them without going on to what will come out from heaven. When the Lord sends out the Jews to the nations, which He will do, they do not lose their place in Jerusalem. So too the assembly. The holy city comes down out of heaven; but it never loses its place in heaven. It was so with the Lord Himself. He was here as light, but He was the Son of man which is in heaven.
Will the holy city touch the earth?
F.E.R. Well, all we get in the Revelation is that it is put in relation to the earth. Think of what a vast company will be brought into display, and the heavenly saints all mixed up with it, although not forming it. The thoughts of people in regard to the gospel have been far too limited. The gospel has been regarded as the means by which people can be saved, whereas it really is the presentation of Christ as He is according to the purpose of God. The glad tidings of the Christ. It is Christ not merely as the
Saviour of sinners; but the Centre and beginning of a universe. In the testimony of peace Christ approaches men in order to attract them out of the world, and to attach them to Himself. That is the object of the testimony. He came preaching peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh.
F.E.R. It is the mind of God in regard to man on the ground of all moral confusion having been removed by the death of Christ, and now Christ is the preacher of peace, but the peace has reference to the world which comes under Christ. In that world all is peace. The object of the testimony of peace is to attract people to Himself as the Centre of another world. Christ has come to be the Centre of another world. People want the benefits of Christ, and to be in this world; but that is not God's mind. It is God's mind that we should be attracted to Christ as the Centre of another world. It has often been said there is no scape-bullock, nor scape-goat for us. It is intelligible to me; Israel will have a scape-goat, they will have forgiveness of sins in an administrative way. They will be a people evidently in the favour of God. We do not get it in that way. We have the witness of the Spirit, and there we get the good of what is God's mind for every man; and the effect is we can approach God; we can have liberty with God. In the world to come forgiveness of sins will be known in an administrative way, because the world to come will be established. No one will doubt that they are forgiven, for it will be evident that they are in the favour of God. They will have it in a national way. We get it more in an individual way. We cannot prove to others that we are forgiven; but we have the witness, and we have the good of it, in that we have liberty with God. The thought of the gospel has been far too limited. It has been diluted to mean that Christ is a benefactor to the world. The point
to me is that the glad tidings are the glad tidings of the Christ; but then, Who is the Christ? He is the Centre of all things. You want to get the idea of it as a whole, and then you can take it up in detail. In preaching you have to remember that responsibility is connected with hearing.
In the Babe, God was announcing "peace". The angels said "Peace ... on earth peace". He came preaching peace. The thought of peace is intimately connected with Christ. He is the Prince of peace. He was the one who came to remove all the confusion brought in by the responsible man; and peace is what He brings in. He is the Prince of peace; and the gospel is the gospel of peace in contrast to all the confusion here. Peace is the dawning of the new day. He comes to them, and He says, "Peace unto you". It was the dawn of the day. It would be a great thing to get enlarged views of the gospel. I believe the gospel -- the testimony -- is the property of all. I am not content that the preachers should think the gospel belongs to them. My concern is that the gospel should be maintained, and that the preachers should know it. People talk about "winning souls for Christ". They are not won for Christ unless they are detached from this world. Preachers want to win souls to a confession of Christ.
F.E.R. He is a presenter of Christ. It is one thing to have the gift of an evangelist, but we want him instructed. The glad tidings of the Christ are not apprehended in a moment. It is Christ as in relation to the "all things". In the light of that, this world is of small account with God. There are many things in which we need to be more enlightened. We need to see the gravity of lawlessness, and the true ground of responsibility, which is not so much in regard to the wrong thing, and that wrong thing which a man does, but more in relation to the rights of God.
The apostle's description of them is that they are "holy and faithful brethren". The great thought in Colossians is the Christian circle, and the sensibilities which belong to that circle. You get them in chapter 3: 15. The peace of Christ to which ye are called in one body. Romans 12 brings in the truth of the body to enforce what is individual; so that in carrying out what is your individual responsibility you will take account of your relation to that body.
The Christian circle is that which is in Christ. The apostle addresses them in that way; and the Spirit of God contemplates them in that way, "the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse". It is a great point to be able to apprehend the saints in that point of view.
F.E.R. In the sense of having life in Christ. The difficulty at the present time is to distinguish between what is provisional and what is the accomplishment of purpose. For instance, "the head of every man is Christ", but that is provisional, it is not the accomplishment of God's purpose. But when we come to what is in Christ, then we come to the fulfilment of God's purpose.
F.E.R. Christ's present position, which is a light to the Gentiles, and God's salvation to the ends of the earth; Isaiah 49:6. And man is tested by that. But all that is provisional, and will give way for what will be the fulfilment of God's purpose. The two go on together just now. God gave the Jew his day, and He is now giving the Gentile his day. The casting off of the Jew is the reconciling of the world. The Gentile is now being tested, and the question is, Will they abide in the goodness of God? Christ is a light to the Gentiles, and God's salvation to the ends of the earth; but besides that, and underneath it all, and which is mystery, God is accomplishing His
purpose in Christ. But this latter is not public, nor is it the subject of testimony, which the present position of Christ in relation to all men is. Christ is the Mediator between God and men. "The man Christ Jesus". That is what marks this moment; it is the public testimony that Christ is Head of every man. This is the day of the Gentile. Romans 11 proves that; the Gentile is being tested, and if they do not continue in the goodness of God, they will be broken off. It is important to see the position of things at the moment, and yet at the same time to know what God is working out underneath all that, to head up all things in Christ. The mystery of God's will is a wider thought than the church; it refers to the heading up of all things in Christ. The time of testing is not entirely over. In one sense it is -- as to fruit bearing -- but now the ground is changed, the marriage supper (Matthew 22) is the test. In coming into the world, Christ tested the Jew; but now the Gentile is being tested. But in regard to both, it is equally true, "no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him", John 6:44. There is a force at work underneath, whether men answer or not to the test. The Gentile, in becoming apostate, will be more guilty than the Jew, because they have the example of the Jew. The Jews are a standing witness to the effect of their apostasy. They are to this day a separate people, without king, without priest, without teraphim, etc. The Gentile will apostatise, just as the Jew; he will fail to take warning from the Jew, and he will sent up antichrist, and that will bring in the judgement of God; and then God in His mercy will take up Israel again. I believe, when Israel is brought in, that the Eastern world will be brought into blessing. I do not think the Western nations will; they will have had their day.
Christ is the test of the Gentiles; He is light and salvation to the Gentile, and to every Gentile. When
all is displayed Christ will come out, not so much as the Head of every man (which is more provisional), but as Head of every family. He will be the Head of the assembly, of Israel, and of every family blessed. At the present time everything which is in Christ is God's purpose. If you find a company of "holy and faithful brethren in Christ", i.e., who have their life in Him -- that is God's purpose. The two things go on together: the testing by the present position of Christ as Head of every man, and the accomplishment of God's purpose in Christ; and hence you get the assembly. The assembly being in Christ puts it in heavenly places; but then Christ lives in His body here. Hence, in chapter 3 you get what are the graces and sensibilities of Christ, which really work in the body, in the relation of the members one toward another. Christianity in the true power of it is not doctrine, although doctrine is necessary. We could not communicate one with another without doctrine. It is important, too, as a limit to one's thoughts. It is "the law and the testimony" to which eventually every appeal must be made; but Christianity is vitality.
There is no real Christianity outside of the Holy Spirit. There are lots of people taking up doctrine. Great councils in the history of the church were largely formed of unconverted men, often violent men. They handled doctrine; but that is not Christianity. Christianity is the Spirit's work in the saints here, which is the answer to what is true in Christ in heaven. All I contend for -- I leave creeds where they are -- is that Christianity is life -- vitality. The Lord said, "I am come that they might have life", John 10:10. In the minds of many, Christianity is merely being orthodox in doctrine and correct in conduct. That is not Christianity; nor does it take you out of the world; which in its true power is Christ dwelling in your heart by faith. You get an answer by the Spirit
here to what is true in Christ in heaven. What marked the Colossians (verses 4 and 5) was faith, love, and hope. They are the elements which go to make up Christian life. It is "faith in Christ Jesus"; which is a subjective thought, not so much the thought of having Christ as an object. Forgiveness is the first elementary truth, and the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit is the next ... but both are elementary.
The "hope" connects us with heaven. We have not got perfection yet; otherwise you would not have faith. These three elements all detach you from earth. "Faith in Christ Jesus" carries your hearts to where Christ is. Faith, love, and hope practically bring you into another world, to which Christ gives character. Faith and hope will pass away, but love will abide.
Why is "faith in Christ Jesus" subjective?
F.E.R. Because every quality which is in Christ is subjective -- "grace which is in Christ Jesus". It is different from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ Jesus is more a characteristic condition; it is that Christ Jesus is the source and spring of faith. These are qualities of which Christ is the power. Every quality which God can own is in Christ; it is not in man. It is the result of being alive in Christ, and He becomes the source and spring of every divine quality in a Christian down here. If a Christian is characterised by faith or grace, it is Christ who is the spring of it. You get coming out in the Christian the graces and qualities which characterised Christ Himself. Christ was the "Author and finisher of faith", so we can speak of faith as a quality coming out in Christ as Man. "Faith in Christ Jesus" is not so much Christ being the object of faith, but faith as a quality or state in the Christian, of which Christ by the Spirit is the spring, source and power. "Hope" too, is spoken of in connection with Christ, "My flesh also
shall rest in hope", Psalm 16:9. For the joy set before Him, would also prove it. These elements all have a separating effect. Take a man of the world, there is nothing of faith, or love, or hope about him. An intelligent man of the world would scout the idea of faith. Faith has reference to things which you cannot verify. Faith is the apprehension of divine things which are the subject of testimony, and which you cannot verify. Christ is the great subject of testimony; but no one can go to heaven to verify it. The Spirit substantiates it to us. Science produces no moral effect on man. A man may have great penetration of mind in science, and be a bad man. If a man is going to reject Christianity for science, I say -- Show me a new man created in righteousness and holiness. Christianity can, and has, produced that. When scientists can show me a better man than Christianity produces, I may be disposed to listen to them. The light of God has produced a man "created in righteousness and holiness of truth", and I say, Show me a better man, and I may listen to you.
"The word of the truth of the gospel" is not merely the word of the gospel, but of the TRUTH of the gospel. Truth has come, and God is seen in His true greatness, and man in his nothingness. "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself". Until the word of the truth of the gospel comes to us, we are inflated, and see things out of all proportion; but by it we learn things in their proper dimensions. When a man is apart from the world system, he is simply nothing. Napoleon was very great when in the moment of his power; but when separated from it he was a poor, miserable man.
What is "Knew the grace of God in truth"?
F.E.R. It is that grace has reached them, in a way which has placed everything aright, in its proper relation -- God in His place, and man in his. Truth is a contrast to a dream, or madness. In a dream the
mind is active; but all is out of its proper relation or proportion. Now, the grace of God puts all things right, in their proper place and proportion, and the grace of God is the only thing that can do it.
What is "Bringeth forth fruit"?
F.E.R. That is another great thought, fruit is the evidence of healthy vitality.
Would the prayer of Epaphras in chapter 4, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, go further than Paul's prayer for the Colossians in verses 9, 10 and 11?
F.E.R. The prayer in chapter 1 has reference to their walk. Chapter 4 is "perfect and complete in all the will of God". The latter goes further. In chapter 1 it is all in view of their walking intelligently; they were to be filled with the knowledge of His will; but it was in view of walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. The will of God is a large thought. It takes in all that God has purposed and set Himself to accomplish. People fall into the mistake of supposing that God has some particular will about them; but the point is to stand in the will of God. If we move our residence, the question has to be raised, whether we move to serve ourselves, or whether we have the will of God in view. The great thing is to subject everything to the will of God. The path of happiness lies, not in our own will, but in God's will; our paths will be all right if we have the will of God in view. If you do well for yourself all men will praise you; on the other hand, if you do not, men will reproach you; you have not made the best of your opportunities. They said to the Lord, "Show thyself to the world". Christ pleased not Himself, but put Himself in the place of reproach, and we should be content to accept that place. Men like men who do well for themselves. In the present time it is of the last moment to be "filled with the knowledge of his will". That is real intelligence. All real intelligence has reference to the
will of God. Then it is you walk worthily of the Lord. God's will is really to gather up all in a suitable head, who will gather up all in unity, and give character to it. That is the thought of the will of God. God has abounded towards us in all wisdom, to make known the mystery of His will. The mystery is, that it is not made manifest publicly, but it is to be known. The apostle says, "That I may make it manifest". It is important to insist that God has His own will in Christ, and that in contrast to the active will of man. It is for us to accept His will, and have no will of our own. There can be no security for the happiness of the universe until all is pervaded by one will. There could not be a state of things in which peace and content prevail, unless it were pervaded by one will. In Colossians, it is "walking worthy of the Lord". In Ephesians, it is "worthy of your vocation"; and in Thessalonians, it is "worthy of God". Each expression brings in a difference of thought. We walk worthy of the Lord in the sense that He is our Lord. Walking worthy of our vocation is that Jew and Gentile are builded together for an habitation of God. It is a great thing to walk worthy of the Lord. There is a tendency to adapt our ways to man, because man is in power for the moment. The corrective of that is to walk worthy of the Lord. It would keep people straight morally if they were to consider what is worthy of the Lord. The Lord is the One who gives effect to the will of God. The will of God at once brings the Lord into view; and, therefore, the only way in which we can be fitted to walk worthy of the Lord, is to be filled with the knowledge of God's will. The grace of God had borne fruit in the Colossians, and they had "love in the Spirit"; and so the apostle is led to pray for them, that it might be still further evident that they were trees of God's planting. The evidence of healthy vigour in a tree is bearing fruit, and growing. There is no more beautiful
object in natural things than a healthy, vigorous tree.
What is the difference between the will of the Lord and the will of God?
F.E.R. The former had reference to a detail in the apostle's life. He was bent upon going up to Jerusalem. The Lord has His own will in regard to His servants. Paul was not quite in that path; he was mistaken, and would not be turned from going up to Jerusalem; and so the brethren said, "the will of the Lord be done". The will of God is a much larger thought. The will of the Lord is what is to govern the saints down here, and the will of God is what God has purposed in Christ. That is not indefinite; it is the heading-up of all in Christ, "thrones and dominions and principalities and powers"; all are to be headed-up in Christ. That is to govern us in all our ways; we should be labouring in view of that, that people might be detached from the world-system, and that they might be drawn and attached to Christ. God is working at the present time the first part of His will, that is the body of Christ. The point is not merely to get people converted; but that they should be in living connection with Christ. If we have the will of God in view, we shall have this thought before us. Christ died to the end that we might be delivered from this present evil world; and, if so, then it ought to be the end we have in view; and the only way that deliverance can be effected is by people being attached to Christ, who is the beginning of another world. "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me", John 12:32.
The end of verse 10, "increasing", should be "growing by the true knowledge of God". It is like the sap of the tree, by which it grows. The knowledge of God is that by which we grow. There are many things that interest people; but I do not know of anything that affects people morally except the knowledge of God.
Romans presents two attributes of God, righteousness and faithfulness; and that knowledge of God becomes the moral foundation in every Christian. Every man's real intelligence is his measure of the knowledge of God. One great effect of it is, that you get everything put in its place in your mind. In the world you may get a genius by an enormous development of mind in some particular direction; but it is spoiled by some great defect in another direction. Now, the knowledge of God never has that kind of effect; it puts everything in its proper place and proportion in your mind. "Some have not the knowledge of God", 1 Corinthians 15:34; that is, not that they were not converted, but their ways showed that they had not the knowledge of God. If I know God in His righteousness, it bears fruit according to itself; we shall be servants to righteousness. Then, again, if I know God's faithfulness, it produces an answer in me to itself. So love; if we know God's love, we shall love. In view of knowing God, you should cultivate intercourse with God; like Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus; she became intelligent. John drank deeply into the knowledge of God; the knowledge of God produced good results. The new man here is the witness to Christ in heaven. In verse 10 the figure before the mind of the apostle is a tree -- "fruitful in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God".
You get a remarkable expression in verse 11 -- "Strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory". The bearing of the power here is more subjective and operative in us, unto patience and all longsuffering with joyfulness; that is, that we may take the path of the Lord down here. That marked His pathway here: "Patience and longsuffering with joy". That is what will come out in us, by the power of His glory. It is not by His glory; but by the power of it. What a change it will bring into the world
when Christ comes, and establishes such principles as mercy and longsuffering and patience. As you get older, you have the same strength of will, and less power to control it.
F.E.R. When Christ comes in His glory, He will come in power to establish such principles as patience and longsuffering. We have not got the glory; but we have the might of it. It depends upon the apprehension of the glory of the Lord. When He comes in glory, He will establish these principles. Christ is in heaven, and He tolerates Satan. He is crowned with glory and honour; and set above all authorities and powers, and yet He tolerates Satan. It will not always be the case; but he will not be cast down before his time. See the patience and longsuffering of the Lord in regard to this world. He has all power to put down evil, and yet He goes on in all patience and longsuffering. "The power of his glory" comes out in our waiting in patience and longsuffering. God will do nothing before the time. Even Antichrist cannot be revealed before his time. The mystery of God will be completed when all is made manifest; there will be no more mystery then.
From verse 12 we get on to the ground of the Father and the Son. It is like John in that way, "giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet". Meetness must be in some moral sense. There can be no faith in the gospel without some moral effect in a man. If you get new wine, you must get new bottles. It is a simple question of believing; but, then, it is equally true, that in believing, a moral effect is produced. When a man believes the gospel, his heart is affected by the grace of God; it is impossible for a man to believe the gospel without immediately some moral effect being produced. The thief was made meet, there was a work of God in him, as well as the work of Christ for him, and so he went to
paradise. A man needs to be judicially cleansed; but a man must be morally cleansed too. "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you", John 15:3.
In the gospel it is not a mere presentation of grace to men -- it is that -- but it is with a view to producing a corresponding effect in man. A man could not come into the view of the grace of God without being affected by it. The grace of God teaches us to live "soberly, righteously, and godly", etc. -- "Knowing the grace of God in truth". "In truth" is a most important expression. The apostle speaks of the word of truth. A moral thought is always conveyed in "truth".
You do not exclude the thought of the work of Christ in being made meet?
F.E.R. Oh, no; but there must be a corresponding work in man. There must be new bottles for new wine. When the word of God's grace affects a man, he builds his house on a rock, and it stands. The grace of God, which justifies a man, affects him morally. The Spirit when given connects itself with that which is already wrought in the believer. We receive the truth in the love of it; and when that is so, the Spirit when He comes, connects Himself with that which is already wrought there. The new wine is the tidings of grace, all that Christ has brought in, grace reigning through righteousness.
What is "Partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light"?
F.E.R. The work of God fits a man for the light. We are delivered from the authority of darkness; that is, the power of idolatry. With people who were brought up in idolatry it is more fully realised -- the immense change brought in by Christ.
F.E.R. They represent man as new. The gospel is presented that man may turn to God, and when a
man turns to God, he is new. The Spirit when given connects itself with the work already wrought in a man -- but a man in believing the gospel is really affected by having believed it.
It is a great point to be "filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding". We could not conceive a greater privilege at this time -- when all is confusion and perplexity -- than to have the knowledge of His will, not dogmatically, but "in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding". Then we get two things, "fruitful and increasing", like a vigorous tree. I am sure we do not give sufficient diligence to being filled with the knowledge of His will. God has abounded toward us in all wisdom, having made known to us the mystery of His will. But that is God's side, and our side is to be filled with the knowledge of it, and in a way to turn it to account, that is by having it in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. The mystery of God's will is that all is to be headed-up in Christ; and we could not conceive of things being rectified, and held in harmony and unity except by being headed-up in one. There are various parts in the moral universe; but all is to be headed-up in one. The testimony of God came in to overthrow all that existed and dominated in man's mind; and then to establish all that is according to God.
In Corinthians that comes out wonderfully. There is the temple, and the oracles; but the light in the temple is to be diffused. That is what God has done. Idolatry and philosophy were overthrown. Contemptible as Christianity was at the outset, what really took place was the overthrow of all that existed. It really did so in result; for the temple of God was established, and not only that, but the light and truth were scattered; the administration of the Spirit diffused the light. What dominated man was overthrown, and what was of God was established. Death,
too, is overcome, and it will be finally destroyed. Victory over death came in.
Rem. The introduction to the Ephesians is similar to this.
F.E.R. Yes, they approximate. Colossians is the first epistle that brings us on to the ground of purpose: all the others are elementary: Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians; but here we come to God's purpose, His will; what is before Him to effect. The assembly has its place in that will.
F.E.R. It is solid food in contrast to milk. The epistle is trying to get them to the ground of purpose. There are two lines in Scripture: there is God's approach to man; and there is, too, the work of God in man. God's will is the fruit of His wisdom. God has intervened to bring to pass a universe according to Himself, and that out of the wreck and ruin of this; and the vessel by which God is to accomplish all is Christ. All is dependent on a Man. All was lost in a man; but all is recovered in a man. Of course, it depends upon who that man is.
What follows in this chapter is the unfolding of the headship of Christ. In Thessalonians we are to walk worthy of the kingdom; here it is to walk worthy of the Lord; and in another place it is to walk worthy of God. We show the effects of the authority of the Lord. Ministry is connected with the Lord; and we show the effects of it by being fruitful, and increasing by the knowledge of God. That is the evidence in us of the ministry of the Lord. We could not say that Christ increased by the knowledge of God; but it is the effect of the ministry of the Lord in us. It is really sunshine; growth depends upon light and air. We get everything by the Spirit. It is a great point to recognise that the Spirit is the Teacher. The effect and power of the anointing is to bring us into contact with divine Persons. Israel were not brought
into contact with Persons; they had mainly to do with the letter. When the Lord came, His disciples came into contact with a Person -- and the effect of the Spirit having come is that we are brought into contact with Persons in heaven, and also into contact with persons on earth, the brethren. By one Spirit we both have access to the Father, and thus we are brought into contact with God and Christ. If you are to grow, you must have to do with God. Abiding in Christ is abiding in the light of God, which is effulgent in Christ. It is the knowledge of what God is in Himself, what He has declared Himself to be in righteousness and love. You cannot be in the light without being affected by it, and you would be characterised, too, by what you abide in. Everything, flowers, etc. -- take their colour from the light; particular parts absorb light, and so they get colour. If we abide in the light, we shall take our colour from it. It leads to enlargement, too; you get out of the littleness of man, into the greatness of God, into the light of His righteousness, and mercy, and love. You increase by the knowledge of God. Man's greatest idea of man consists in heroism and patriotism. The latter would have had no place if sin had not come in. When you come into the thought of God, you come to self-sacrificing love. There was no heroism in Christ; it was all a question of doing the will of Him who sent Him, and that in meekness. The ministry of the Lord Jesus here was the setting forth of the rights of God in mercy; the Lord asserted the right of God to show mercy to man. It is a great thing if we are set on being fruitful and increasing by the knowledge of God. It is "strengthened with all might", etc., and that not for heroism, but for patience and longsuffering. These qualities are not heroism; but they will enable you to stand in the testimony. By these you can gain the day and overcome. The apostle did so; he overcame.
It is wonderful to see how everything of God was done; when God wanted prophets, prophets came. So John the Baptist came, and he did what God intended should be done. So, too, the Lord came; so also the apostles; they did what God intended; they kept the faith, and that is the great point. All that God intends, will be done. Moses broke the first tables of stone; but the tables were to be put in the ark, and they were put in the ark. So the prophets; they spoke, and gave their testimony, and the circle of prophecy is completed; and all that God intended was done. You may be sure, too, in looking forward to the future, that God will bring all to pass. Israel were to go into Babylon, and to Babylon they went; and they were to come from Babylon, and they did; and they were to reject Christ, and so they did. We are not left here to do great things; we are not to be conspicuous here; but to be here in all patience and longsuffering.
Rem. It supposes that things are against you.
F.E.R. Yes, it does; all is in contrariety. Christ has ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things; that is the might of His glory. The point with the Christian is to be here according to the last Adam, not according to the first. We are to put on the new man. That is what we are according to Christ, created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth. Now, we get a remarkable passage following in connection with the Father and the Son (see verses 12 - 14). Then from verse 15 we get an unfolding of the headship of Christ; but the real point of the passage is what you are brought into contact with -- divine Persons. If we have the Spirit, and are thus brought into attachment to Christ, we are made meet. Whatever is in attachment to Christ is "meet".
In verse 14, "through his blood", should not be there, it is in Ephesians. The style here is more
rapid; here the glory of His Person is more in prominence; here it is the Father and the Son; it is Persons. The Son is man, of course; but here it is His Person that is prominent. No one knew Christ except as man; but still we can abstract the mind, and think of the Person.
What lies between the passage that precedes and the "giving thanks to the Father"?
F.E.R. It is the climax; there would be an actual expression of your indebtedness to the Father. "Giving thanks" is an indication of the condition of the spirit; so here we are impressed with what has been done for us, and we are giving thanks. He has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and brought us into attachment to Christ -- into the kingdom -- into the sway of the "Son of his love". All is stated here on the sovereignty side; it is what God does. Attachment proper means brought into bond -- married to another -- joined to the Lord. It is the contrast to lawlessness, which means breaking away from bond and attachment. Attachment in the sense of affection is quite a conventional use of the word.
"In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins". Without that we could not approach; being brought into attachment you have forgiveness in Him. You are never called upon to believe that you are forgiven; but that forgiveness is there. It is the mind of God for every one -- faith apprehends that; but it is by the Spirit that you get it, and then having it, we have liberty of approach. It is by the witness of the Spirit, that we have a purged conscience. What faith apprehends is the mind of God for all; but many do not come into the light of it. People want to believe something about themselves. In Luke 7 you get that when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both; but Simon did not come into the light of it. When the Lord Jesus was here He was the witness of God's mercy to man, and available for
every man. Man's responsibility in regard to God's testimony must be maintained. The Lord says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life".
Why redemption, even the forgiveness of sins?
F.E.R. Redemption takes that form in regard to us. Redemption is that the liabilities are met. You are free of that liability. Redemption is not yet applied to the body. Forgiveness is most important, for without it you could not approach God; you could not enter into all that is God's mind, unless you approach God; and forgiveness of sins is necessary for that. We cannot enter into the thought and purpose of God, except as we are in liberty with God, and in the holiest; and to be in the holiest you must have a purged conscience. Being in the kingdom of the Son of His love, and having forgiveness, you are free to approach. Darkness subsisted by man's ignorance of God; but bring man into the light of redemption, and the darkness is dispelled. In Christendom the moral idea of conversion is scoffed at, and people are kept in ignorance of God; and Scripture is discredited. Redemption is complete in Christ for God; but we have to appropriate it. Redemption was complete for God before any one was redeemed. All the ways of God are based on Christ Jesus; but we have to come into the light of it, so that we can say, "in whom we have redemption". We have come into the light of it. We lose the force of many of the statements which the apostle uses, as, for instance, the authority of darkness. As a matter of fact it has been broken. If we went into heathen, idolatrous countries, we should feel we were face to face with the power of darkness. I do not believe that idolatry was an invention of man; it was the power of darkness. One form of idolatry is covetousness; and another is doing homage to the god and prince of this world. In popery and high churchism there is an immense amount of idolatry; when you
come to the "mass", and "mediators" and "saints", you come to idolatry in a very unmistakable way.
Verses 15 and 16 refer to the proper place of Christ in relationship to creation. He is the Image of the invisible God; that is, He is representative. The invisible God is presented and represented in the Image. He is the Firstborn of every creature. Christ as last Adam can take up everything in creation right. "All things were created by him and for him". "For him" contemplated that He would take up headship in regard to them. Had He not creation right I scarcely see how redemption right could come in. I cannot conceive anything more important than the relation of Christ to "all things". "For him" is in view of Him. "By him" is instrumentally by His power. "He is before all things, and by him all things consist". He is the pillar of the universe. The foundations of the earth are out, of course, but He bears up the pillars thereof. He holds all the parts of the moral universe together. When all became dislocated, it was only in view of Christ that God could go on with things. Angels sinned in heaven. God took up Israel and then the nations, but all was in view of Christ. You want an explanation of God being able to go on with things in heaven and things on earth, such as they were. There is so much in us that answers to the dislocation. What spoiled things in heaven was lawlessness. The devil sinned from the beginning. Then lawlessness came in on earth; then came disintegration. Cain slew Abel. You could not get greater disintegration than that. What marks the present moment is lawlessness and disintegration. Adam broke away from God, and then Cain slew Abel. Then all that followed in the history of the world evidences the same principles.
In verse 16 we get the expression "all things"; it is one of frequent occurrence in the New Testament, both with Paul and John. It refers here to Christ
"for by him were all things created". When Christ takes up all things which He does in the world to come, He does so in the right of creation as well as the right of redemption. The same thing comes out in Revelation 4 and 5, "Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created". I should attach great importance to the expression "all things" -- "all things are delivered unto me, of my Father", Matthew 11:27; "all things that the Father hath are mine", John 16:15 "gather together in one, all things in Christ", Ephesians 1:10. The expression "all things" does not refer to material things. It is principalities, and powers, thrones, and dominions. In the whole course of things right away from the beginning, whatever God instituted was in view of Christ, and to be taken up in due time by Christ.
"First-born of all creation". Is that synonymous with "all things"?
F.E.R. Yes, I should think so: "by him were all things created". It is specified here what are the "all things", viz., "thrones", etc. The Lord takes up all things on double right, creation and redemption: the first is the right of creation. The "all things" were created for His pleasure. They are now under liability, and He takes that up. The first dominion God created was that of Adam: it was the position in which God placed Adam. "What is man? ... thou hast set him over the works of thy hands ... thou madest him to have dominion". Dominion was conferred on Adam. He was the head; that is the first dominion God instituted in connection with the earth. In Noah the principle of government came in; he received dominion in connection with the sword of government. Moses and David were in divinely given dominion. Whatever God saw fit to institute, it was created in view of Christ. Then there are created things in heaven. Christ will not merely come in to
take these things up, when men have failed, but they were created for Him, that is in view of His taking them up.
Will you explain "Old things have passed away and all things are become new"?
F.E.R. The "old things" were the things of responsibility, but the new things are the things of reconciliation. Adam and Noah and all the others who were put in positions were so on the ground of responsibility, and the question was, whether they could hold them for God. But they all failed. Moses failed.
Is new creation wholly subjective?
F.E.R. Yes; it is man who is new created. In general, new creation is used in connection with man, and is subjective. "In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature", Galatians 6:15, and that is subjective. The positions themselves were all right, only those placed in them were unable to hold them. It is a point of the greatest moment, that all the dealings of God in the past, were in view of Christ. A breakdown has come in. But Christ has not come in merely as a remedy (though He is that), but all was created in view of His taking them up. "A man in Christ" refers to man's state. "If any man be in Christ .. a new creation". To head up all things in Christ is an objective thought, but "if any man be in Christ" is a question of state. It is a new bottle.
Is new creation involved in "Made us meet"?
F.E.R. Yes; it involves that. I admit that if a man has the Spirit, he is made meet; but still it involves the work of God in him. If a man has the smallest appreciation of Christ -- let it be as small as may be -- that man is "made meet". If there is appreciation of Christ, then there is affection, and that man is made meet. Quickening and new creation
are akin; there is not much difference. In Ephesians 2 the apostle predicates both regarding the Ephesians: "you hath he quickened -- created in Christ Jesus". The difference of idea is, that in quickening it is for God, and for the circle in which God may place you. New creation is to put a man before men, a new man "created in righteousness and holiness of truth".
What is the "Kingdom of the Son of his love"?
F.E.R. If we have a distinguished king in whom every moral quality harmonises, he will give character to his kingdom. So if you get "the Son of his love", you may be sure He will give character to His kingdom. It is a great thing to see Christ as the Son: many a one sees Him as Saviour and Lord, who does not see Him as Son. "That every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life", John 6:40. There are things visible and invisible; there are things which have come within the range of man's knowledge, but there are things which have not. Man has not seen principalities and powers. Christ is the image of the invisible God: He is the perfect representation. Adam was made in the image of God, that is relatively to the lower creation. A man who sees no difference between man and the brute creation, is blinded. It is simply monstrous. No argument should be spent upon it; it is not worth it. Man was representative of God: he represented God to the inferior creation. Had Adam remained as God made him, he would have been an object of reverence to all that came from him. "Likeness" means completely free from moral taint. He was pure in the nature of things. God as God is invisible, "whom no man hath seen, nor can see". But if a divine Person becomes man, He brings God into the presence of men. God as God is outside the ken of man; although the Son of God became incarnate and God was revealed. But God adjusts that with the fact that God remains God,
and as such He is invisible. In the incarnation of the Son of God you get the revelation of God, but you get too the Man of God's purpose. "He is before all things, and by him all things consist".
It is interesting to see certain things that came out in the course of God's dealings, which are never repeated; for instance, the flood. God purged the earth with water; but it was not in view of this world, but in view of the world to come. He purged some abominations which had come to pass and which He could not tolerate. The earth is never again purged. So with Israel: they were taken out of Egypt, but it will never be done again. They forfeited the land because of the golden calf and so they have yet to be brought into the land, but that will be in the world to come. Their captivity to Babylon was predicted before they went into the land. God will recover them from Babylon -- not again from Egypt.
What is "By him all things consist"?
F.E.R. They are held together by Him. For the moment everything seems dislocated, but things are maintained. They appear out of gear, but "He upholds all things by the word of his power". The whole physical system is held together by the Sun, so everybody will be held together in Christ as head. "He that is not subject to the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him", John 3:36. That describes the state of the Jew at this moment. They are lawless and out of their orbit. The wrath of God is upon the Jew -- it is suspended in a way, but when God takes up the Jew again, they will then come under it. The harlot will come under the wrath of God, her flesh will be burned. Things in heaven have been affected by evil, the throne of darkness is above. In Revelation a great conflict takes place between Satan and his angels, and Michael and his angels, and the devil is cast out, and he will find no more place there. "He is the head of the body, the assembly" (verse 18).
In Ephesians Head to the church is the crown of all, but here it is the beginning: and is stated differently. Here it is inherent, and in Ephesians it is given. Looked at inherently, He is the Head of the body, but in Ephesians He is the Head over all things and Head to the body. It is His exaltation as man, first taken out of death; and then Head of the body is the crown of all. Here in Colossians He is Head inherently, not as a man down here. He is the Son of the Father's love. He began His history here as man, and He went up to the right hand of God; but John has another line. He came out of heaven, and this line touches John. It is exceedingly interesting to see it stated in this way -- He is the Head -- the beginning; the First-born from the dead. The last is relative, for others are to be brought in on the ground of resurrection; as death lay upon them. He is the First-born from the dead. A death blow is struck at death. In the fact of Christ becoming man, He is the beginning. Every family will take its character from Christ. The church will, Israel will, and all the Old Testament saints too, and the nations. It will be a great thing to see an end of all confusion, and see all in harmony, which will be when Christ takes up everything. Here on earth He could subdue all evil in His presence, and in every circle in which He was He gave character to that circle, and He is able to do that to the utmost degree. "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost", John 1:33. He received the Spirit that He might communicate it. Nothing stood before Christ; death, demons, disease depart. The effect of Christ coming here was brought to an issue in regard to Israel. There was a separation between the clean and the unclean; and the demons went into the herd of swine and down they go to the abyss and that is where the Jews are today.
God would not have gone on with man except in view of Christ. The blood taken into the holiest of all proves that it went beyond Israel. Now we get the headship of Christ on the footing of resurrection (verse 18). In regard to creation, it does not speak of Him as the beginning. When it comes to the ground of resurrection, then it is that He is the beginning. The starting-point of everything is Christ risen. It is wonderful what you get in Christ as man. You get an Object of perfect divine complacency; one who can impart His Spirit to men on the ground of redemption. "All the fulness was pleased to dwell in him", and He "made peace by the blood of his cross". There you get the two things. The heavenly host celebrated "Glory to God in the highest", and "good pleasure in man". It was the same at the baptism and on the mount of transfiguration. He, as man, was the object of divine complacency, and He could impart His Spirit to man. "He is the head of the body", is actual and final. He is that, but there is a headship which is provisional. He is head of every man.
What do you understand by the body? It is a recognised thing in Scripture. It is assumed here; but what is the idea which is to be understood?
F.E.R. Oh, yes; but it implies that there is something here for Christ. I think it is that which lives in His life. The body is the vehicle of the life of Christ in a moral sense. Christ is a Man in heaven, and has His body, but the body is the vehicle of His life down here. It is the vehicle of blessing because it is the vehicle of Christ's life. Of course it must be taken up and understood morally. Every Christian is in the body. The Galatians were not living much in His life, but they were in the body. So, too, the Corinthians. They had received the Spirit, and so were in the body. Colossians is in advance of the elementary
epistles. The great point in Colossians is life; the Spirit is only once mentioned. The idea is that the body is here in His life. You get "when Christ who is our life", then all the exhortations in chapter 3 seem to go on the ground of Christ being the life of the body. The body is always viewed as provisionally complete, like a regiment; if all were killed but ten men, yet the regiment is there. The body is not the public thing; we have to maintain individuality in these days, but I recognise the existence of the body, and therefore I could not be sectarian. Sectarianism is a practical denial of the body. It is a falsification of the truth. Every quality of Christ comes out in the body, compassion and mercy, etc. -- "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly". It is Christ in you. He is the beginning. It is a wonderful thing; you can never improve upon the divine beginning. A child learning to paint may improve upon the beginning, and in time may become an artist. So a potter, he may begin by some rough work, and eventually become a skilled potter. But that is because of human infirmity; but you cannot imagine any improvement in God.
Is He the beginning in incarnation, or in resurrection?
F.E.R. It is Himself who is the beginning, although resurrection is contemplated here. One of the Essays and Reviews is on "the education of the world"; by the late Dr. Temple -- and he says that there has been brought out an education of man, and Christ coming in was a part in that education. It was the education of fallen man. It all went on wrong lines, for it made man the beginning, but Christ is the beginning. How men who profess Christianity can commit themselves to such things in the teeth of Scripture is to me quite astounding. If Christ did not stand on the footing of "out of the dead", no one could stand with Him. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit". You cannot improve upon God's beginning, for God's work is just as good at the beginning as at the end. The beginning involves the finish; the foundations of a house involve the roof. In the succeeding verses we get great light in regard to what will give character to the universe (see verses 20 - 22). Christ was personally the Object of divine complacency; but the object in view was that all was to be brought into divine complacency, and all the fulness of God is available for man as light, because it is in a Man.
Chapter 3 gives us things in the present. Chapter 1 goes back to what has been effected. "Christ made peace by the blood of his cross". It goes back to what Christ was here upon earth. "In him all the fulness was pleased to dwell". The Father was there, and the Spirit was there. "The Father which dwelleth in me, he doeth the works". They were the Father's works, and they were done in the power of the Spirit. There was the perfect setting forth of divine Persons. The fulness of Godhead was there. In the present time, if people disregard the Spirit, God will give no light; they are left to their own imaginings. What these great men put out are lies; they do violence to the Spirit, therefore have no light. It is impossible to understand divine things by the natural understanding. Man's mind does not rise beyond man's things. If divine things are to be understood, we must have the Spirit of God. The mass of Christendom give no place to the Spirit. I am amazed at people going and attaching themselves to the great systems of men. They have no understanding, or they could not. There is no gathering-point except Christ. The Spirit of God gathers to Christ. The Spirit of God will not gather any particular company to Christ. He gathers the whole company, and although we do not see it yet, we recognise it. "To reconcile all things unto himself".
Then it is amplified, and says, "By him, I say, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven". It is a great thing to get into view the "all things" and Christ in relation to them. The assembly is only one item of "all things". It has a wonderful place, because it is His body, yet it is not the "all things". It is the inner circle. If a stone is thrown into the water, you get a great number of concentric circles; but then there is an inmost circle, but every circle has the same centre. The inmost circle is the only existing circle. In Hebrews 12 there is one company you come to, mount Zion, but that is a mount; then to the heavenly Jerusalem, which is an idea; then to the church of the firstborn, that is actually existing. There are the angels, too -- an innumerable company of angels; that company is actually existing. We do not come to Israel, nor the nations, because we have not come to them yet; but we have come to Jesus, and the blood of sprinkling, they are actually there, Scripture is so accurate. God has many controversies with men, but Christ came in, and settled every controversy. He made peace by the blood of His cross. God has no controversy with man at the present time; it is preaching peace to you that were afar off, and to them that were nigh. God will have a controversy with man by-and-by. Speaking broadly in regard to men, God has no controversy with man at the present time. God may have a controversy with an individual, in the way of discipline, but that is more a Father's chastening. When man sets up Antichrist, then he has a controversy with God. They refuse the appointed Head, but that brings in judgement. It is remarkable how all through God allows things to go on until they are morally ripe.
Rem. Revelation 14, "The grapes are fully ripe". The grapes are judgement -- the harvest is for God, and He says, "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe"; it does not say "fully ripe". Man precipitates
things so; it is a great thing to wait until things are ripe, and they are fully manifested.
F.E.R. In cases of discipline they are often prematurely dealt with, and it brings in confusion. Then we get that reconciliation has already taken place in regard to the assembly (see verse 21). Reconciliation is not complete without presentation. The reconciliation of the prodigal was not complete until the prodigal was brought into it. It is not complete until we are presented holy and unblameable. The object of reconciliation is to bring into divine complacency, but then the objects must be brought into the consciousness of it.
F.E.R. It must be conditional so long as we are here. If you view saints abstractly, you can leave out the element of responsibility; but the moment you speak of Christians upon earth, you must bring it in, for there is nothing absolute upon earth. The only way in which we can speak of Christians as in heaven, is as looking at them abstractly; but the moment you look upon them as being down here, let them have as much light as may be, there is still the danger of their being moved away from the hope of the gospel.
Since the saints stood in the truth of reconciliation, the next thing was the "body" -- reconciliation paving the way for the body. We could not understand much about the truth of the body if we did not enter into reconciliation. Reconciliation connects itself with the gospel -- the apostle puts it, "if ye continue in the faith" ... and "be not moved away from the hope of the gospel". The gospel in one sense covers everything. The ministry of the mystery does not confer anything on you; the gospel confers everything. There are four ministries spoken of: (1) Ministry of the gospel; (2) Of the new covenant; (3) Of reconciliation; (4) Of the mystery. The gospel covers the first three. The mystery is sometimes called "the
mystery of the gospel". We are really brought by the gospel into what the mystery unfolds. The ministry of the mystery unfolds what the gospel confers. Here in Colossians 1 we get two ministries -- the gospel and the mystery; and in 2 Corinthians we get the two intermediate ministries -- the new covenant and reconciliation. God has set forth in the Lord Jesus Christ what the terms are on which He is with us; this is the ministry of the new covenant. Reconciliation brings in the thought that all is to be for the pleasure of God, that man may be a new creation. We are reconciled that we should be holy and unblameable in His sight. He has removed the distance that we might be before Him according to His pleasure. We have to take in one thing after another, we cannot take in all at once. God in the gospel speaks from the height of His purpose (see John 3:16), but I doubt if we can take it in as quickly; so the truth is presented in a way that we can take it in, step by step; hence we get it presented in different ministries. The apostle speaks to the Corinthians as they were able to bear it; so the first epistle is chiefly taken up with the gospel (see chapter 15). Then in 2 Corinthians we get the ministry of the new covenant, and in chapter 5 we get the ministry of reconciliation. We could not take in the thought of God as to reconciliation unless we were believers. It was all in the thought of God from the outset. The father had all in his thought from the very first, when he ran to meet the prodigal. Of course, reconciliation has reference to the state we were in, but then the reconciliation was effected by the death of Christ, not by what was effected in us. The Corinthians had to enter into it, but the reconciliation was effected in the death of God's Son, otherwise there could not be the testimony of it, the "word of reconciliation". The Corinthians were not in all the good of the gospel. The parable of the prodigal carries us much further than the good Samaritan.
One is the wilderness, the other carries you inside. Until a man is free of the judgement under which he is, you cannot talk to him of anything; when he knows that, you may set forth to him the terms upon which God is with him; then reconciliation being effected, he can be here for the pleasure of God, being a new creature. "We beseech ... be ye reconciled to God" is abstract. The apostle is stating in a broad way what was his ministry; what began in Christ: "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" was being continued in the apostle, though he could go further; for reconciliation having been effected in Christ, the word of reconciliation was committed to him.
When shall we be presented holy and unblameable in His sight -- is it future?
F.E.R. It is abstract. We are reconciled for this purpose. I should not say it is future. The statement of it having been made, we should seek to accept it, and enter into it now. The "if" of verse 23 is to recognise them as still in the place of responsibility; "to present you" is to set you before God. It is not a question of what we are practically (although in a way it is), but what we are in the new man. Just as much as we are in the reality of new creation, do we enter into being "holy and unblameable in his sight". Verse 23 is true of the most spiritual Christian that ever lived, that he is responsible not to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. There is no "mystery" in heaven. "Mystery" refers to something that takes place on earth. In Ephesians 2, where saints arc spoken of as raised up and made to sit in heavenly places, there is nothing about mystery; but in Ephesians 3, where what we are on earth is taken up, we get "mystery" again. The remarkable thing that comes out in the mystery is that the Christ who was rejected from this earth is here on this earth; and how does that come about? His body is here, and that is
the truth of the mystery. The apostle goes on to speak of the body (verse 24). "The afflictions of Christ". Christ is still looked upon as suffering here. What exposed the apostle to persecution was the preaching and the carrying of the testimony to the Gentiles. The Jews always persecuted for this, "forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles", as in Thessalonians. Still, after all, he was filling up the afflictions of Christ, and we ought all to be filling up what remains to us. Moses suffered the reproach of Christ because of his service; so Christ is still in affliction. He is suffering in His body, the assembly, and we have come in to fill up that which remains. If we were as devoted to the service of Christ's body as Paul was, we should come more into His afflictions. The Lord is perfectly sovereign, and if you are to serve His body, you will have to break with the ties of flesh; not that you become unnatural, but His body takes the precedence. If you go on the line of knowing no one after the flesh, and are content to take that ground, you are likely to suffer in the flesh, natural ties are subordinated to this. If I know people in a social line, it is knowing them after the flesh. We are to regard people as they are in new creation; so I should have as much objection to a sort of communism, as I should to social distinctions. There is as much evil in levelling up as in levelling down. Every saint will come out in display, otherwise there would not be a complete display of Christ; Ephesians 1:23. The thought of the bride is that He has the church for His own comfort. The body is that which is adequate for the complete display of Christ. In order to this you must have every saint; it is only thus it is adequate for a complete display of Christ.
We little know what it was for Him to become a Man. It takes the whole church to set it forth. The divine idea of the body is that Christ should be still here. The head and the body are always looked at as distinct. The figure of the human body is only taken
up for the "body". Everything comes forth from the head to the body. It is head in the sense of "chief". Christ is Head of the assembly as the husband is head of the wife. There has been an attempt to employ and carry figures too strictly and literally. The Head is the One from whom we derive everything. Verse 25, "Complete the word of God". The epistle to the Colossians has always Gentiles in view. Reconciliation comes in more prominently with the Gentile; the Jew having been under law, responsibility is taken up in connection with him. The mystery explains how Christ can be in the very scene where He was rejected, and the only way that could be is in the body which is taken from Him. Nothing can really represent Christ except what is of Christ; we only really represent Him as we are partakers of the divine nature. The body is here -- the Head is in heaven, but we derive from Him. Christ was the light of the world when He was here. Now the assembly is that; but the assembly does not answer to the mind of God about it. It has left its first love. It has not represented Christ. It has not been a true witness, so the threat hangs over it to remove the candlestick. How little we look into the great thought of God about the assembly, that which is to represent Christ; and who can understand that Christ can be here, actually, in the very scene from which He was rejected. This can only be as we derive from Him, just as truly as Eve was formed out of Adam.
Was what came out in Christ "God reconciling" continued in the assembly?
F.E.R. In Christ, God was here. When Christ was here all the fulness of God was here; the line on which God was, was reconciling man to Himself. He draws near to man, "not imputing trespasses". The apostle was an ambassador. We could not say this of the Lord. It was God who was here. In Christ we get the full revelation of all God's thoughts in regard
to man. There is a danger of losing sight of the very special place the apostles had as regards their ministry -- they inaugurated as it were -- they were pioneers. Our preaching and testimony is simply what came out by the apostles. They were inspired. The apostles could say "our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son". They write that our fellowship may be with them. The "our" is emphatic, and marks the special place the apostles had in the testimony and service. We constantly get an apostolic "we". Here in Colossians he speaks in the singular: "Whereof I am made minister". The apostle's wish was to make all know what they had seen and heard, that our fellowship might be with them, and then he shows the full height of their "fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ".
F.E.R. The apostle desired that they might rejoice in his sufferings for them. He rejoiced in them, filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. Then he would have them know what great conflict he had for them, and not only them, but for all down to Laodicea, and not only there, but as many as had not seen his face in the flesh; which brings in us. The epistle to the Laodiceans was to be read by the Colossians, and vice versa. It is remarkable the scope and bearing of the apostle's ministry -- to "as many as have not seen my face in the flesh" -- his conflict was to the end given in verse 2 -- hearts comforted, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding. That is the great preservative. What comes out in Colossians is just what marks the present time. You get philosophy and science and human wisdom, and the name of Christianity retained, and yet throwing the law and testimony of God overboard. There could be nothing for God if there was no testimony -- when things are turned upside down all is confusion. There are those who say, there is no testimony, and others do not go so far, but they throw the Scriptures overboard; but if there are no Scriptures, I do not see what we have. Influences are at work to oppose the testimony of God; if there be no testimony, there can be nothing for God. "Thy testimonies are very sure", Psalm 93:5. The testimony will have its place in those in whom God has wrought, yet even true Christians come under the evil influences at work which tend to oppose the testimony. If man has departed from God, then, as a result, all is out of gear, and then we are absolutely dependent upon a
testimony from God. The position in Christendom is illogical; for in a world of confusion, to discredit testimony, and yet retain the name of Christianity, is illogical. I often feel indignant at the enormous assumption of people who throw testimony overboard, and yet are quite ignorant of all that Scripture says. The great antidote is "the full assurance of understanding". The leaders who oppose the testimony have no idea of the "testimony of Jesus" being the "spirit of prophecy". The mystery of God is His purpose to head up all things in Christ. The full assurance of understanding of the mystery of God, in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom is the resource of God, by which He can displace evil, and bring in what is according to Himself; God's ability to do that is wisdom. The form it takes now is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory". The mystery is manifest in that way to us, and in that way we are in the good of God's purpose, because in virtue of Christ in you, you get the power of sin and evil broken, and what is of God prevailing.
The new man is created after God in righteousness and holiness. It is only in Christianity you can have any real idea of righteousness and holiness; the terms may be used, but there is no real idea of them. We get a foreshadowing of the new man in Old Testament saints. What distinguished them before God was really some trait of Christ. Like Abraham, who was called out from his kindred, and from his father's house. It was a foreshadowing of Christ. It was He who was alien to His mother's children. Then again, Abraham went out, and left his country. It was really pointing on to Christ. It was He who had not where to lay His head. Every trait and feature in Old Testament saints which refreshes you, is all a foreshadowing of Christ, and is but some trait of Christ. The word of God is that which has been light all along the history of the world. Whatever bit of
light there was, was always by the word of God. The word of God is the testimony. People greatly need encouragement. Some suffer under pressure of circumstances; others on account of the loss of natural links, because of the path they have taken. People are often liable to depression, and so saints need encouragement. People, however, live in a border land. They do not enter with full heart into the new links which the apostle John speaks of. We are to love one another; there is no neutral ground. The two-and-a-half tribes did not go over, and they were extremely liable to the influences of the world. Some people think they would be giving themselves away to answer to the claims of Christian love. We cannot afford to despise lowly people. We have to accept them because God has accepted them. We often cannot get past people's peculiarities, but the likelihood is they are more acceptable in God's sight than perhaps you are, and by you, I mean myself. I am not the best Christian! We want to get round to what Christ is for God. A babe knows the same Christ that a father does; but a babe only apprehends what Christ is for him; but a father apprehends Him as on God's side; that is the One in whom all God's purpose centres. If we apprehend Him as the Ark of the covenant, we must enter the holiest. A babe cannot go on to the riches of the secret of God; that is the knowledge of the mystery. It is all the work of the Spirit which brings us to the point to be arrived at, that is the knowledge of the mystery. It must be very great that all the treasures of resource are found in it. Christ is the Head. All things are headed up in Him. In chapter 1 Christ is spoken of as Head first in connection with creation, and then in connection with reconciliation. The mystery is the whole extent of God's purpose in Christ. The assembly has the greatest place in that purpose. God will displace sin and death in the same place where sin and death were,
you get the introduction of all that is according to God. In the Head of all things you get all the fulness of God, all will be accomplished and brought to pass in the light of God. All will be established morally according to God, and all will be held together in perfect unity. It is all one in the Head. One Head holding all must bring in unity. There are circles in heaven, and there will be circles on earth, and each and all will take character from Christ, and in that way be according to God, and all held together by one Head -- "The Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings". It is a beautiful expression.
Rem. "Enticing words" was to make them dissatisfied and to want something else.
F.E.R. The apostle seemed to be alive to the danger that beset them. I suspect there was an effort in earlier days to bring in a mixture of philosophy, Eastern ideas and Judaism. There was an effort to allegorise scriptures, and in that way to destroy the moral application. The impudent way in which men try to get over facts stated in Scripture, and treating them as fables! Facts which have a great moral bearing, and yet these men do not openly deny the Scriptures, but are such traitors. In looking at Scripture, it is important to look at it from a moral point of view. Nothing is related as history, but entirely with a moral bearing, and with the intention to convey some moral thought; but we must have the foundation of facts, not fables. People try to accommodate themselves to philosophy and science; but it is no good, for those to whom they try to accommodate themselves have no intention of accepting any testimony of God at all. If people do not apprehend Christ spiritually, they cannot understand Scripture. The Scriptures were given for believers, they were written for our learning. If a man has not a spiritual apprehension of Christ, he cannot understand any part of Scripture, either Old Testament or New.
In our day the most important things in Scripture, new birth and eternal life, are misunderstood. They have connected new birth with baptism, and eternal life has been taken up in a material way, and the result is these things have been made a laughing-stock. These things can only be understood by the Spirit of God. The apostle preached Christ crucified, that was intensely moral; it set forth the end of man, and set forth, too, what was God's demonstration of what flesh is in His sight.
Are there not some parts of Scripture more difficult than others?
F.E.R. Yes, there are; the most difficult parts of scripture to me are the writings of John. All depends on ability of apprehension. We are not men enough to apprehend them. "In understanding be men", 1 Corinthians 14:20. If so, these things would not be obscure to us. The apostle prays for this here. In John's gospel Christ is presented entirely as on God's side. It is essentially on the divine side: "We have contemplated his glory", John 1:14. He is the Father's sent One, come to do the Father's will. His words were the Father's words, His works the Father's works. In the other gospels the miracles were all as setting forth the virtue in Christ for man. The key to John's gospel is the "glory as of an only begotten with a father". Even the miracles related in John's gospel, which are sparingly given, are counted as signs, and they manifested forth His glory. John speaks of eternal life morally, and presents it in the Father and the Son, and so we can get it now. In the other gospels it is spoken of in connection with the coming age. The great struggle we have gone through has been to get the truth of eternal life out of the rut of materialism.
Verses 6 and 7. We have received the Spirit, and the great point is to walk in the Spirit, not as natural men. I do not think Christ is very much presented in
preaching; certain things are pressed on people, and anecdotes are told; His work is put in afterwards, and forgiveness is pressed on them, but there is very little preaching of Christ, which is the setting forth of the present relation of Christ who is at the right hand of God, but yet stands in a special relation to all men. He is the One Mediator, the present living Mediator. The redemption is in Christ Jesus, and it is available for men as they are affected God-wards. Man has revolted from God, and therefore man has to turn to God. The responsibility of returning lies upon the one who revolted, and the truth of the Mediator is that the way is open the moment he apprehends the grace of God in the Mediator, and then he turns to God. The Mediator had taken up man's liabilities. The point in preaching is, to present to men the present position of Christ at this moment as having taken up a relation to all men. Christ is to be presented as Head: "Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins", Acts 13:38. Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ unto them. If Christ stands by divine appointment in relation to men, which He is adequate and entitled to fill, then man has responsibilities in regard to Him. It is a great thing to press this upon men. Walking in Christ is the acceptance of Christ as wisdom instead of being such a fool as to trust one's self. It is a great thing to walk in Him, to find Christ as wisdom. I am a far better man than I should have been had I walked by my own head. It gives superiority; there is a moral dignity that is above everything -- that is in Christ. It is all morally great.
It is important to see the line on which things are presented and seen. There are many things in the world which are not "after Christ", and there are things "after Christ". The rudiments of the world, philosophy and vain deceit, are not after Christ; they are not on that line. Things are either on one
line or the other. The literature of the day is on the line of philosophy and vain deceit, except when it is pure imagination. We have to test things, to try them, and the test is, Are they after Christ? The test is, Do they bring the light of God? The rudiments of the world, and the traditions of men, never brought the light of God. What is "after Christ" brings in revelation.
Rem. People speak about the light of reason.
F.E.R. But that does not bring in the light of God. The world did not begin with philosophy; philosophy began when certain social conditions existed, and deductions were then made as to what existed. Mathematics never originated anything. Reason originates nothing. All right reason must begin from the top; but what people speak of as reason is in the sense of from man to God; they begin at the wrong end. If there is no revelation, no real light of God, there are no premises to reason on. The traditions of men are very doubtful premises. They say, supposing certain conditions, then reason would be superior to passion. I do not believe it, because I do not think passion could be controlled by reason.
F.E.R. It is a remarkable expression, because it takes in three titles. Christ Jesus, the Lord, not the Lord Jesus Christ. Ye have received the Christ. The point of the epistle (the mystery) is really Christ in you, the hope of glory; in you Gentiles. It would not have been so wonderful to say this of Jews; but Christ is Jesus the Lord. "The Lord", brings in exaltation. "Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living", Romans 14:9. Then he goes on to warn them against being deflected: he brings in the Lord, because He is Head of all principality and power. The Lord is supreme for administration "to us there is ... one Lord Jesus Christ", 1 Corinthians 8:6. Everything for God
is effectuated by the Lord. There is no one you can look at above Him. He is the Head: there are many below Him. No one ever gets free of Satan till he gets to the Lord. It is only as you get to the Lord, that you realise Satan's power. Israel had to be on completely new ground (resurrection) before they were free of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. If a person is under the power of superstition, liable to be carried away by imagination, when they get to the Lord, they get free of it. No one who has got to the Lord would occupy themselves with superstition. Those who can influence you are above you. If I have fallen under the influence of spirits, I have not got to the Lord. We are not going to affect the Lord. He will affect us; He is too great to be affected. The Lord will not bend to our point. He may bend us to Him. We like to persuade the Lord to our way of thinking sometimes, but we are not going to do it. We forget sometimes that He is the Lord. He is not only Jesus, but the Lord. It is a wicked invention that any human mediator could have influence with the Lord, to affect Him. The wonderful thing has come to pass, that Christ is in the Gentiles. The Jew could not understand Christ being among the Gentiles. Only one thing explains it, and that is that His body is here. In the gospels we get Christ presented to man, and in the epistles He is exalted and made Lord and Christ at the right hand of God. The Christ is the One whom Scripture has always had in view; therefore Christ come in the flesh was what was insisted on. The idea of Christ the Anointed, is that the one is come who is going to give effect to all God's will.
Is it for earth that He is the Anointed?
F.E.R. No. The one on whom the Spirit descended was the same who baptised with the Holy Spirit, and He did not do this until He was exalted. The great thought, however, in Scripture is a connection between
heaven and earth. We get the kingdom of heaven now; we have to look to the heavens for light and direction. In Genesis God made the heaven and the earth, and so also in Revelation 21:3, "the tabernacle of God is with men". It is a great thing for saints to get to the Lord, to be ordered by Him. There is no greater favour could be conferred upon you than to give you His mind as to what is taking place down here. The great effect of it is, that you are not overwhelmed nor overcome by evil. There is no phase of evil but what the Lord has foreseen, and He lays it all down in Scripture. It may cause a sense of confusion in me, but He is above it. He is not confused by it. He saw it all from the outset. Verse 8 is a warning. The folly of philosophy is that it comes short of telling me about God. It can speculate and argue. The philosopher's premises are only from what he knows, but what can philosophy tell me? No one from what we see around us can know God. There are 10,000 witnesses of God here -- parental affection, filial obedience, etc. -- and yet these things are out of course; man's passions get the better of him, and all the evils resulting from that, and who is going to know what God is from that?
Does receiving Him go beyond faith?
F.E.R. Yes, I think so; they had received the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, there is the recognition of Jesus the Lord. If we walk in the Spirit, we walk in the truth of the Christ.
Is it the same as "abiding in Christ"?
F.E.R. Well, here it is walk which carries the idea of conversation. Walk is the result of abiding, I should say.
Is it Christ dwelling in your heart by faith?
F.E.R. In Ephesians 3 it is prayer that it might be so, and it is the result of state; it is by being strengthened with might by His Spirit, in the inner man. Received the Christ, is having received the testimony;
but that could be said of any Christian; but being strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in the heart by faith is, I think, a good deal further on. The epistle is essentially a "guarding epistle". It is with a view to their not moving away. The great effort has been to identify Christ and Christianity with the course of this world. It was the effort of Judaising teachers and philosophers. In this country it is what has been done; but it is all false. If Christ, the Son of God, came in as man, He cannot be a 'crown'; He must be a beginning, a Head; so it says, the beginning of the creation of God, not the end of it. People render it often a new creation; but that is not it. He is the Head, the beginning of the creation of God. He is the firstborn from the dead; that is, it was God's purpose to establish all on the footing of resurrection. Redemption is in Christ, and He is risen, and hence it follows that all in the creation of God must be on that footing, otherwise it would not be in accord with Christ.
Rem. The eagerness to connect Christ with this world is in order to put a sanction on it.
F.E.R. Yes; the way forgiveness of sins has been presented, is that man might have it in this world. The truth is, man is forgiven in view of another world. People are forgiven, and receive the gift of the Spirit, and that connects them with Christ and another world. The benefit is presented to every man, so that in coming to Christ they might receive the Spirit, and thus be in attachment to Christ, who is the beginning of another world. We are justified in Christ; not in ourselves. The disposition is to connect Christ and Christianity with the course of this world. Christianity has come to be the religion of this world. It is a point of the last moment to make manifest the great end of preaching. Forgiveness is preached in the name of One who is the Head of a
system, and the object is that man may believe in Him, and, consequent on faith, receive the Spirit, which attaches him to Christ and to another world.
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power" (verses 9, 10). It is a great expression that "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily". The idea is, that "all the fulness of the Godhead" is brought into contact with man. All that God is, is brought into contact with man.
Verse 9: There is nothing left out of the Godhead "all the fulness", and it is in a vessel, "bodily". This verse refers to what the Lord is now, but chapter 1: 19 is what He was as down here. No one knows anything of God, save as we see it revealed in Christ as man. We have the full revelation of God in a man, without any confusion of God and man. There is where the mystery lies. There is the full setting forth of what God is in a man. The union of God and man is an improper thought. By the fact of the incarnation, the Son becoming a Man, He took a place lower than angels. Chapter 1: 19 is not what was true of Him in eternity. He was in the form of God then. You must have the vessel for the fulness of God to dwell in. In eternity the unity of Godhead existed, but after the incarnation there was a spot where the fulness of Godhead was pleased to dwell. In becoming Man He gave up the place that was proper to Him. The object of it was that everything might take its character from Him. The truth is God can trust nothing but the divine nature. There is no greater mystery in Scripture than the unity of Godhead. Three Persons, and yet unity of such a character that they can speak of an "I". Someone has said, "No separation of will, but each willing". In the Old Testament there is but one Person speaking, and nothing to show there were three Persons there.
In Christ, the High Priest can touch the Ark. The Son became man, and in doing so He touched the Ark. The Ark and the High Priest are one. It is two lights in which Christ is presented; in Him the approach is equal to the revelation. The Priest has gone in and touched the Ark; He did not need blood or incense (the blood was on our account). Approach and revelation are set forth in the same Person; it is the foundation of Christianity that approach is equal to revelation.
In verse 10 we get He is "the head of all principality and power". Men are affected by principalities and powers, they are affected intellectually. The influences by which men are affected come from heaven. Take idolatry, superstition, and infidelity; these are influences which come from the unseen world. Satan has not yet been cast out of the heavenly places; and therefore Satanic influences come from heaven. Man never invented idolatry, nor do I believe that infidelity is natural to man; they have come in; but they have come in from somewhere else. In result, what will be is that every man will be affected by Christ, for Christ will be the wisdom of the universe. The universe will come under the influence of Christ. The wisdom which is from Him alone, is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy", James 3:17. It is a remarkable passage: the wisdom of man leads to "confusion and every evil work", verse 16. The universe will be influenced by Christ, and you will get -- not confusion and every evil work -- but purity and peace and gentleness, mercy and good fruits, and no hypocrisy. How would the world get on without hypocrisy and partiality? Every man in the world is a hypocrite. People keep up false appearances. We are warned against dissimulation.
The account we get of wisdom is very beautiful. It is a wonderful thing to look forward to a system
where the wisdom which is from God alone will prevail. The first principle of the world to come is righteousness and salvation. That will be purity -- full of mercy and good fruits. The other expressions are what describe Christ. He was pure, peaceable, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. It is a description of what Christ was Himself while down here. No man can walk rightly according to God down here, except under the influence of Christ. You may distribute millions of money; but except you are under the influence of Christ, there is something wrong with it. Suppose you could cure all the poverty in the world; it would not improve man morally. Lawlessness came in first; but it was succeeded by hatred; and these principles mark the world now.
Principalities and powers generally refer to heaven; thrones and dominions refer more to things on earth. Principalities and powers are looked upon as the forces which act upon men down here, whether for good or for evil. Satan is the anti-priest; he is the accuser of the brethren; he accuses them day and night; he accused Job; and he tried to accuse Joshua in the time of Zechariah. Christians often want to walk according to men. What do the masses get from the great men in the world? Things are not improved by their influence. I believe what comes out now has never been surpassed. There may be the advance of education and civilisation; but what we want is the wisdom from above.
All that God is, dwells in Christ bodily. But in the fact of dwelling in Him bodily, it is all brought into contact with men. The moment He became man, all the fulness was there. The necessary consequence of the incarnation was that all the fulness of the Godhead was there. Nothing could affect the unity of the Godhead. Figures and illustrations which attempt to give an idea of the Trinity are useless. The Father
and the Son are one in the unity of the Spirit. The Spirit is spoken of as the Spirit of the Father, and also as the Spirit of the Son. The truth as to God is that He dwelleth "in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see", 1 Timothy 6:16. Many people have poorly entered into the truth that Christ is God. Many sentimental ideas have been brought in in connection with the name Jesus, which have affected people more perhaps than they know. But the soul has to apprehend that He is God. "Ye are complete in him". That is, you lack nothing. You are complete in regard to wisdom. People read books, and they may get a knowledge of men and manners; but where is wisdom? I cannot see that wisdom has reference to this world only. You cannot be wise and leave God out. If you leave God out, there is no standard of good and evil, nor any solution of them. When you get an absolute standard of right and wrong, and can look on to the solution of good and evil, then you begin to get an idea of wisdom. The coming of Christ involves God bringing everything to an issue; and wisdom, therefore, has reference to that great question. Good and evil will each respectively find its own place. Everything has an end. There will be a disentanglement. The Son of God has been manifested that He might undo the works of the devil. He has come in, as the absolute standard of right and wrong, so that all may be brought to an issue. The disentanglement is now going on in Christians. They are to refuse the evil and choose the good. We have a perfect standard. Christ loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Now Christ gave Himself for us, that He might deliver us from all lawlessness. A Christian being full-grown in Christ means that every moral faculty is developed; every part is proportionately developed. The heart and the conscience and the mind all exercised in proportion.
What is "head of principality and power"?
F.E.R. There is nothing above Christ. It is a great thing to get this into the soul. He is the Head of all principality and power. Fulness of Godhead dwells in Him, and ye are complete, "filled full" in Him. You want no knowledge but Christ. What can philosophy give me? There is really no such thing as philosophy, for if you leave God out, it is not philosophy, no wisdom in it, and if you bring God in, it is religion. J.N.D. said, "If a person wants to be wise and intelligent, it is the knowledge of God will make you wise". The end of wisdom is God, to know Him. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". The tendency was to try and make philosophy and Judaism work together. The Jew adopted a great deal of the eastern speculation as to God; the teaching of the Old Testament was turned into allegories; the historical persons were made to represent some principle or other; all turned to mysticism. It is a great lesson for us to learn in what complete independence God has placed us of all that is of man. The apprehension of truth is not according to a person's natural ability, but according to one's spirituality. We do not learn through men, we are taught by the Spirit. It is the only way we get it. People may have a retentive memory and the like, but you only get what you are prepared for. We were speaking about Ephesians 2 the other day, and I felt I knew little or nothing about it. I felt I was not man enough for it. Scripture tells you (as someone has said) what you are to get, but it does not give it to you. It is the Spirit who gives it to you. I do not believe the Lord has a greater pleasure here in the good of His people, than to direct us into the will of God. We get "the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God", 2 Thessalonians 3:5. We may have truth suggested to us by another, but you have to get it by the Spirit. The disciples never learnt anything from the Lord
upon earth, and they had the best Teacher that ever was, or could be, until they received the Spirit, and then they got all the gain of it afterwards. John 14:26: "He shall bring all things to your remembrance; whatsoever I have said unto you". Of course our walk must be guided by our knowledge.
If saints want to grow, do you not send them to the Scriptures?
F.E.R. No. I should try to lead him to the Lord. The Lord might lead him to the Scriptures. The word of His grace is a moral idea, not so much the Bible, but the expression of God's grace. Whatever expresses the grace of God is the word of His grace. It is the word of His grace, not the word of His requirement as the legal system was. Now in verse 11 you get the other side: "we are filled full in him", but now we are circumcised, we are cut off from the other man. Just as a saint grows in Christ, he grows in intelligence according to God. What will man's knowledge here be worth, if this world were to pass away. We want intelligence as to what is eternal and enduring, and just as we grow in Christ, we are intelligent in this way. We are complete in Him, and we are cut off from the other. All that is in Christ the fulness of the Godhead is available for you. "He is head of all principality and power" is brought in to cut off the system of mediation that they were bringing in. Circumcision meant the putting off the body of the flesh, and baptism meant burial so that you should not be seen. Circumcision refers to the death of Christ. Many a man died, but it was the death of Christ that was the putting off the body of the flesh, the whole state before God was condemned. In the circumcision of Christ all goes. The putting off the body of the flesh was what was effected in His death. No other death could effect it. Resurrection brings in the new man. We could not have putting off without bringing in something else. We are sanctified by being
extinguished, as God will not allow the flesh in a man.
These are authorities by which men will be affected in the world to come, men will be affected by influences from heaven; but, then, Christ is Head. He is pre-eminent above all principalities and powers. The practical result will be, that all will be affected by Christ. "Worshipping of angels". Angels play a great part in the imagination. One great man supposed that there was an angel in every blade of a plant! Men intrude into the angelic world, which they know nothing about.
Rem. But the One who is above them all has come close to man down here.
F.E.R. When a man has got Christ he has got wisdom. There is no wisdom when the most important considerations are left out.
It is a great thing in regard to what is going to be displayed, that all the fulness of the Godhead resides in Christ, and that He is the Head of all principality and power. It is not the case in connection with this universe; it is in connection with what is going to be. When God created Adam, the fulness of the Godhead did not dwell in Adam, nor was Adam head of all principality and power; it is that which has come to pass in Christ. All that is in the Godhead has come into contact with men, and then again, no principality and power can be against man, for Christ is Head of all. There have been principalities and powers under which man has been; but all will be changed. It makes all the difference between the world which has sprung up in the providence of God, and what will be. When the Son of God became man, then of necessity all the fulness of the Godhead must be there; you could not have the Son apart from the Father; nor the Spirit apart from the Father and the Son. But, then, all the fulness of the Godhead is in touch with man. "Living water" is presented for every man -- "whosoever will".
It is an immense point to see what has come to pass in the Son of God becoming man. It was only the One to whom the inheritance belonged who could take up the liabilities and accomplished redemption; so the Son of God became man; but, in doing so, all the fulness of the Godhead was in touch with man. All principality and power is tested by Christ; and in result all principalities and powers which do not answer to Him, will be ejected; and hence Satan will fall from heaven as lightning. I cannot conceive of a principle more important than that all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily, and that He is the Head of all principality and power. It seems to me that the whole system of blessing in the world to come is dependent upon these. They are, therefore, vitally important. "Ye are complete in him". You are furnished with all wisdom and knowledge and understanding. I do not care how men are going to carry out things. If any government came into office, the most astute politician cannot forecast what will be the course of things; but he will be governed by expediency and circumstances. It is not wisdom; there is no resource; and he has to depend upon circumstances. But what we get in Christ is all the resources of wisdom and knowledge. He is Head of all principality and power; that is, that every power which affects man must take its cue from Christ. Principalities and powers evidently refer to heaven; they are in the heavenly places. They do not now take their character from Christ. Satan does not acknowledge Christ, for he will set up Antichrist. But it is true now that Christ is Head of all principalities and powers, and in result they must be ejected.
In Luke you get tremendous things brought out. "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven". Then you get "all things are delivered to me of my Father". Christ is the appointed Centre. Then He speaks of revealing the Father. Then He comes in
as man's neighbour. He comes in to give the impulse and impetus to mercy upon earth. Satan falling from heaven will produce a great change in heaven. Then you get Christ as centre, and as the revealer of the Father. Then He comes to give the impulse to mercy. Man is more prone to judgement than to mercy. The heavens will be purged; now they are not clean in His sight; and so, too, the earth will be purged.
You get more proof of the deity of Christ in Luke's gospel than almost anywhere else; more moral evidences, not in statements, but in acts. "No man knoweth who the Father is save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him". He revealed the Father, and only One in whom all the fulness of the Godhead was, could do so. I think people might ponder these two statements: "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" and "He is the head of all principality and power". They are amazing! There are three things we are warned against here: (1) Reason, that is man's mind (verse 8); (2) Religious order (verse 16); (3) Sentimentality (verse 18). These three things make up man. There is an answer in us to all these. Reason takes up things and makes deductions, takes up traditions of men, and the elements of the world.
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days". There is religiousness about man, superstition, religious order. High-churchism is a kind of religious order; months and seasons and times. Then there is sentimentality, which is more strongly developed in some than in others; that is intruding into things which they have not seen. Take man apart from the animal part of him, he is made up of these three things -- reason, religious order, and sentimentality. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ". All these things have come into Christianity. The Colossians were warned against them. There are many things which are of reason in higher criticism. It is all after the traditions of men. Then strongly developed in Christendom you get religious order. The Roman catholic and high churchman live in a world of imagination. The point in this chapter is that they all belong to this world system. Now, the point is, we belong to another system, and one which God has already called into existence, "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" -- and "He is the head of all principality and power". We belong to that order, and so we get "ye are circumcised", "ye are risen with Christ", and "quickened together with him". Circumcision is the putting off the body of the flesh; the whole moral condition which qualifies a man for this world. A Christian is not qualified for this world; circumcision is the putting off the whole moral condition which fits for this world. There is a certain moral condition which qualifies a man for this world in feeling and mind and desire: that is the body of the flesh. It is the complete moral condition (which is the force of "body"). The world is made up of the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". Now circumcision is the putting off the complete body of the flesh. The point is to see the divine idea. The moral condition which suits a man of this world, does not suit a man of the world of which Christ is the Centre. These two moral conditions are as different as they can be. You are risen with Christ and quickened with Him. We are risen, for all that is in association with Christ must be in accord with Christ. When people depart from the truth, they get back to what is natural to man. It is not to be wondered at in some cases that people who have been brought up with us, go back to these things if there is no work of God in them. In some cases
reason and mind are more developed, and people turn to dissent; in others, sentimentality is stronger, and high churchism attracts; but in every case religious order is accepted.
What is "Buried with him in baptism"?
F.E.R. Until the body of the flesh is put off, they could not be buried, otherwise you bury them alive. Then it is you come back to your baptism. Baptism is not a person's responsibility. People were baptised in the early days apart from their entering into the significance of it; but we have to come to it, in its moral import, which is putting off the body of the flesh, then we come to the truth of our baptism. On the other hand, you are risen with Him; that is, you are in association with Christ. Then, too, you are quickened; that is, you are qualified in respect of spiritual affections; that is, you have a new moral being according to God. If Christianity brings before you living associations and relations, I do not see how you can be in them save as quickened of God. You cannot get a new moral condition and being, in any other way, save by being quickened. It is the only way a new moral being can be produced. We are quickened. It is not only we believe. We are quickened; but we realise the truth of the statement by virtue of the work of God in us. The whole theory, "only believe, and you will have everlasting life", is wrong. It is getting people to believe something about themselves. We are called to believe about God and Christ. We get nothing by faith, we know what is there by faith, but it is by the Spirit we appropriate. Faith apprehends what is there in Christ; but what is in Christ is for everybody, not for me in particular. I apprehend by faith that forgiveness and salvation are there in Christ for every man; but consequent upon faith we receive the Spirit, and it is by the Spirit we can appropriate these things. The divine way is that everything is in Christ
for man. By faith I apprehend that; but by the Spirit I appropriate what is in Christ.
The most lawless men sometimes are those who are so in mind, others are lawless in imagination; they pry into what is not seen. There is no lawlessness where the Sun rules. In the heavens (Psalm 19), "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge; they have no speech nor language, yet their voice is heard". The point in each and all, whether circumcised, risen with Him, or quickened, is to separate us from the course of this world. From the end of verse 13 to the end of verse 15 refers really to the coming of the Lord. We have no scapegoat. Forgiveness of sins is not now administered publicly in the world.
Then we do not get the handwriting of ordinances blotted out yet; but publicly we still are under the period of law. The dispensation is not changed. The High Priest has not come out, nor have principalities and powers been spoiled publicly yet. Satan is not yet cast out. These will all be apparent in the world to come; but we anticipate all by faith. All was effected in the death of Christ; but it does not come out publicly until Christ comes in glory. There are the sufferings of Christ, and the glories to follow. We are still in the period of the sufferings; the glories are to come. Forgiveness of sins in the end of Luke 24 is anticipative of the world to come. It is in His name. We have forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit, and the object is that we might approach God, that we might have liberty with God. The witness we have is totally unknown by the world. The witness of the Spirit is good to me; but one proof to others is, I can carry my bed. The righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The law previously killed him; but now he carries his bed. These things will all be manifested in the world to
come; but in the witness of the Spirit we have the good of them now. They are all accomplished. The principle of Christianity is that we anticipate by the Spirit what is going to be displayed. Then the apostle warns them against these different things -- religious order and imagination.
Imagination is the most lawless thing; take a mad man -- he is controlled by imagination without reason; then take a dreamer, he is quite lawless. A novel writer is one of the most lawless of men in imagination; he allows his imagination to work; he himself lives in an unreal world; and he seeks to induce others to do so. "Paradise Lost" is all imagination. If people spend their faculties in research, putting things together which have occurred, that is wholesome comparatively. I respect historians; but I feel very strongly about novel writers. Judaism was a worldly religious order, feasts and new moons, etc. -- they were only shadows, but the body is of Christ. The body is the beginning of the substance; the substance is what God is going to set forth in Christ. "Holding the head". You can do that because He is revealed. He has come out. That is not intruding into things which you have not seen. Men can hold Christ because He has been revealed. The Holy Spirit has come down to report the glory of Christ; but that followed His having been down here. "Holding the head" refers to the Head of all principality and power. The body is the only thing now which is in connection with the Head, and so the body gets all the present good of the Head. The Head will supply all morally in the world to come; there will be sunshine and healing water. The Head is the source of supply now; we get all the good of the Head now. "Increases with the increase of God" is the divine nature; unto its self-edifying in love.
It is difficult to realise many of these things now, on account of the state of things; but in the early
church we can see it. They were exhorted to let their love abound one toward another. It is wonderful that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in a Man, because it brings it close to men. Then that Man is the divinely-appointed Centre to which men are to be attached, that they may be delivered from lawless men. There you get the gospel.
Christ came out the first time to reveal God, and in redemption to lay the foundation of everything; but then He has gone in to present man to God, and He comes out the second time both as King and Priest; King to rule, and Priest for blessing, like Melchisedec. He goes in to present us holy and unblameable. He has gone in that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable. He presents Israel -- in fact -- all. It is the function of the Priest to present man to God. But when He comes again, He does not come out to reveal, for He has revealed God; and He does not present; but He comes out as King and Priest to rule and bless. The thought in this epistle is presentation and going in; we do get the coming out in the expression that "in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"; but that is not the point of view in this epistle. We are buried with Him, risen with Him, and quickened together with Him. It is all God-ward, and the thought of it is, that we might live towards God. They had been dead in trespasses and sins, and were dead in regard to God.
Circumcision is the seal of righteousness; it was a fleshly rite as taken up in Israel, but it is not of Moses, but of the fathers; and so to get the real significance we have to go back to Abraham. Then it is the seal of faith; it is the having put off the old man, and the putting on of the new. That is the seal that he is righteous. It is the proof and evidence that the man is no longer lawless; but is in attachment. Circumcision is of the heart and spirit, not of the letter.
Rem. Romans 3 and 4.
F.E.R. When righteousness of God is upon you, then Christ is your righteousness. It is toward all, but it is not upon a man, until he is in Christ. The bearing of it is toward all; but it is upon all who believe. The righteousness of God is established in Christ, and those who believe are covered in that way by Christ. There has been a great effort to give a man a standing by faith. If a man is not in Christ, he has no standing, no real place before God. In Romans 3 God is declaring Himself from His own side. Christ is a mercy-seat for God.
Then, in chapter 4 we have Christ on our side: "He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification", and so Christ is appropriated as Lord; that is the test and evidence of faith. If a man confesses Christ as Lord, it is a proof he has got the Spirit (verse 13). Morally and dispensationally the Gentile was outside everything. The conduct of the Gentile was such that he was morally dead in regard to God; practically impotent. The terrible thing is that man is dead in regard to God, and yet alive in sin down here. Then God meets it by quickening us together with Christ, so that we may live in regard to God. Quickening is anticipative of the coming of the Lord, and the object is that we may live in regard to God. You are dead to the world, that is your baptism; but you live in regard to God. It is the contrast to your previous state, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God".
The great thought in this epistle and in the Ephesians, is Christ gone in to present (not as in other epistles coming out), and in connection with that the Spirit is given. "Thou hast ascended up on high, and given gifts unto men". "Ye are risen together with him", brings in the thought of association. Quickening accompanies being risen with Christ. You get association in Colossians; you are risen with Him. In
mind, the Christian is on the same ground as Christ is.
Why bring in "having forgiven you all trespasses" after quickening?
F.E.R. You are quickened in regard to God; and so all that could come between God and man has been removed. Offences would come on man's conscience, so we get a purged conscience. Then, again, the handwriting of ordinances has been taken out of the way; that might hamper a Jew; but then the system is all abrogated.
Then He has spoiled principalities and powers. People were under the power of these; now all has been exposed; holy angels, and evil angels, they are all exposed. There was a show of them openly. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". Christendom has put itself back under these things. In popery and high churchism people have no real idea of approach to God -- of access to God; all is carried on by the clergy. "Triumphing over them in it". The death of Christ was a great triumph. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the sea shore. God made a way through the Red Sea. Pharaoh thought he had got the people; and then a way is made through the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them, and they went through to God. Pharaoh and his hosts were foolhardy, and they assayed to go, and were drowned in the Red Sea. So David slew Goliath; the enemy was led in triumph. When you come to the present application, the point is their power is annulled. You can drown flesh as the Egyptians, but not spirit; and so you cannot see principalities and powers gone; but, through death, the power of the enemy is gone. When a way is made through death, the enemy cannot terrify man. Man can pass through death to God; baptism is the figure. We pass through to the house of God, where the Spirit is. The object of this epistle is to plant the saints as to their intelligence in the sphere where God and Christ are, really
on resurrection ground. There is no peace, unless people are living in this.
It is a point of the greatest moment that we see the testimony of that which God has had before Him to bring to pass. It is one testimony all through. The central point in the Pentateuch is the ark of the covenant. In the historical books the central point is David. In the Psalms it is Christ come out and gone in; and in the prophets it is the "testimony of Jesus" which is the spirit of prophecy. God takes up the kingdom under the whole heaven, that He may dwell in Zion. Scripture is in spirit and principle the testimony of God. It is not merely a collection of inspired writings; it is that; but it is in spirit and principle the testimony of God. I should like people to be established in the Old Testament. The enemy assails the Old Testament, and in doing so he wants to get rid of the New. The effort of the present day is to get rid of the Old, and then they think they have the New; but the truth is, when you get rid of the Old, you have also got rid of the New. If you do away with the Old, you make Christ an impostor. There is not a writing in the New Testament which has not a root in the Old. People want to get a comprehensive view, and to see that Scripture in the real spirit and principle of it, is the testimony of God.
What are "shadow of things to come"?
F.E.R. These things are shadows -- feasts, new moons, etc. "New moons" refers to the renewing of God's relation with His people; it is a new epoch; but it is a shadow of things to come. We do not want to be taken up with shadows now, for the day has dawned; for the substance has come in. It is not the exact thing that has come in; but Christ has come in; and the substance, the body, is of Christ. The people to whom these enactments were given did not understand them. They were written for us. A Jew did not know what a "new moon" meant. If a
prophet did not understand his own writings, I do not think a Jew could understand what the "new moon" signified. Men like Abraham, Moses, and David were beyond their dispensation. God wrought in them in a special way. Moses said, "Show me thy glory". He saw God's hinder parts; he could not anticipate; he could only see something of God's past ways.
What would verse 16 answer to in the present day?
F.E.R. Religious order; days and seasons are regarded; Lent, etc.
How were these things shadows?
F.E.R. Because the things will be fulfilled in the millennium. The millennium will be a great holy day; so also the sabbath, and the feasts. The feast of tabernacles is a shadow of good things to come. There has been an effort, and a successful one, too, to interweave these things into Christianity, into the present world-system. The truth is they do not belong to this world at all. In the Christianity around, the spirit and principle of popery is Babylon; and when the harlot rides the beast, it betrays its true character. Popery, and all allied to popery, will ride the beast. It is Babylonish, and the glory of man is the feature. Everything comes to its own issue. In Zechariah the woman takes the ephah, and it is established in the land of Shinar. The harlot does not come under the judgement of God, the beast tears her. "Holy days", etc., suit the religious instincts of men; the ordinances which God gave to Israel were suited to a people in the flesh. "The body is of Christ", refers to the assembly. Christ is the substance; but the body is of Christ. There is a body here which is Christ's body. He is the Head of it in the sense of a Leader. If the House of Commons is summoned to the House of Lords, they follow the leader. The speaker is the head, and there is a body attached to him. Verse 18 is a figure; it refers to
the place of association with Christ. Christians are often cheated out of their prize; they do not get what Christ has earned for them. True humility is holding the Head. We have no title to be in the presence of God; it is Christ who presents us there. Christ had a personal right to go in; but He has accomplished redemption, and so gives us His Spirit, and it is that which entitles us to go in. The real substance is you have got God. I do not see how you are going to deal with Christians if they have not God. If the young do not find their portion in God, I do not see what portion there is. You may get them occupied with service; but God is the portion. The priests had no inheritance. God was their portion. I cannot understand the rightness of any special treatment of the young. There is no justification of it in Scripture. The Levite derives from the priest. A man will not be much of a Levite if he is not something of a priest. I see the difficulty in regard to the young; but what people are devising to meet the difficulty has no vindication in Scripture. The deficiency with the young is, they are not really in the good of the Spirit. When I came into fellowship people were eagerly occupied with dispensational truth; but it is not so now; that has been made plain.
Rem. "Such were some of you, but ye are sanctified".
F.E.R. Sanctification of the Spirit is that we are set apart to God from the world and from all that is obnoxious to God. A sanctified vessel is one which is not used for common or profane purposes. Many want to go on with things externally, and to go on with the world; but if you want the enjoyment of God, you cannot have that and the world, which is made up of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. The thought which has been too much lost sight of is attachment; that is, brought into bond to Christ. You cannot abide in Christ unless
you have attachment. Christ is the point of attraction; then you get attachment; and then you get abiding, and the result of abiding is affection. If you are brought into attachment to Christ, you are detached from the world. The truth of the body is a great thing. It is the first-fruits of reconciliation. It is that which is brought into attachment to Christ in the presence of God. The object of reconciliation is to present us holy and unblameable and irreproachable in His sight.
It has been said that up to verse 12 we get the Romans side of truth; and then from verse 13 the Ephesians side. The latter part of verse 12 goes beyond Romans, that is being risen with Christ; but in the main it is the same line. Ephesians does not speak of us as being risen with Him. In Romans resurrection is more future. It says "shall live". "Raised up" is not the same order as "risen with". The former is the exaltation, as Christ was raised up, and set at the right hand in heavenly places. When the apostle comes to these exhortations, he takes up both thoughts; that is, "dead with" and "risen with" (verse 20 of chapter 2); and then in chapter 3 verse 1, "If ye then be risen with Christ". Verse 12 is more the ground we have taken; it is connected with baptism. We have taken that ground. It is through faith in the operation of God, who raised up Christ from the dead. It is not subjective; we do not get that till verse 13.
F.E.R. We can be said to be buried without faith, because it refers to baptism; but you cannot take the ground of being risen except by faith; this the Colossians had taken. In early days Christians really left the world for the assembly; which is properly the new ground in resurrection. This cannot be done apart from faith -- and so we get "risen with him through faith in the operation of God, who raised him from the dead". "If" is brought in to give point to the
responsibility. It raises no question, but presses the responsibility which attaches to the ground we have taken. It points out what is consistent with that ground. These Colossians were really baptised, so that they might leave the world and come into the Christian circle, really the truth of the assembly. There can be no association with Christ save in resurrection. The true idea is that in our relations with God and with Christ we have to leave the flesh behind. We come out on completely new ground, in the power of the Spirit. "In whom ye have been circumcised". The ground on which we are entitled to be baptised is that God has dealt judicially with the old man. Circumcision indicated in type that it was the only ground on which God could have to do with man. The saints understood these things very well in early days; it is more difficult now, for we have a Christian world all around. Then the assembly was entirely dependent upon the Holy Spirit come down from heaven; and that had taken place consequent upon Christ being exalted. They were altogether apart, too, from the world. Now we have a spurious Christianity all around; but in early days, when they left Judaism, or heathendom, as the case might be, they came into an entirely out-of-the-world condition of things, entirely supported by a power come down from heaven. Christianity around us is, "they say they are Jews and are not, but do lie". What a corruption of Christianity it is all around! a complete falling back on what is of man and the flesh. The real ground is dead and risen with Christ. It is very difficult to realise this in the present day, the assembly having so completely lost its place. Nothing is more feeble than an effort to set up an imitation of the assembly. The principles and the truth remain as light; but all else is individual. The assembly must be taken in its full extent. When all is in ruin, all that is left is instruction to the individual. Verse 13, they are
quickened, and all is gone out of the way, sins forgiven; writing of ordinances, etc. The object of quickening is that they may be in association with Christ. While God was testing man in the flesh, He never told him he was dead. Here God is acting to give effect to His purposes, it is the Ephesian line; but does not go so far -- we do not get raised up.
How are principalities and powers spoiled?
F.E.R. Because they are still viewed as being on earth; so we get, too, trespasses forgiven, because they are viewed as here. If we are to live to God, being quickened together with Christ, all must be removed -- there must be nothing left. The whole legal system was nailed to His cross, and so completely ended. Jews are transgressors; but Gentiles are trespassers, because they trespass on the rights of God. Transgressions are the infraction of a known law -- it is broken. Gentiles are said to be dead in trespasses. "Made a show of them openly", is that all was exposed in connection with Christ. Then the character is brought to light. If we are in bondage to the world, and the prince of this world, it is not because they have not been exposed in their true character. "Now is the judgement of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out", John 12:31. Nothing subsists now in the eye of God, but Christ. When Christ died, nothing was left under the eye of God. Even when the law will be written in their hearts, it will be part of Christ. The earthly people will partake of Christ.
It is a point of great moment to see that there is nothing now under the eye of God but Christ. "The body is of Christ". So the law written in the heart of Israel is in a degree of Christ (verse 17). "Body" has a double meaning. It is the body of Christ; and yet it is a play upon the word. "Substance", is hid in the word "body". No one has ventured to translate the word 'body' in verse 17 as 'substance';
the idea is the substance; but then the body is the substance. Verse 16 all points on to the fulness. We have not got the good things to which new moons and sabbaths refer. There were many things foreshadowed by the law which will not have their fulfilment till the millennial age. We have what is entirely new and better; not the good things to come, which are connected with earth. The law did not foreshadow Christianity. It foreshadowed a state of things in which Christ is recognised. It would be difficult to get a foreshadow of a time when Christ was in rejection. We get many things in principle which we do not have in literality.
The apostle's point in verse 16 is that they might not be entangled by these things, for there was no literal application of these things to Christians -- the substance is of Christ. Christ is rejected; and the only way in which He can be here now is in the body. Eve is taken from Adam; she was of Adam; the body is of Christ. The idea of head in verse 19 is taken from verse 10. He is chief; just as the husband is head to the wife. "Head over all things to the assembly", as Head of all principality and power (verse 19). The whole thing is an organism in the power of the Holy Spirit, so perfect that the organism is most delicate. "If one member suffer, all the members suffer". It is a great thought the being quickened together with Christ. It is easy to read it; but to know the reality of it is another matter. It is to bring you into the circle of affection in which He is. It has no meaning otherwise. If we ask ourselves what this means, we shall find we know very little about it. It is a state which is produced by the quickening power of God; and the divine object of it is that we live in association with Christ, and to bring us into that circle. It supposes that you are in the truth of what is true of you. The apostle could say it of the Colossians; I do not think he could have
said it of the Galatians; but I think he could say it, of both the Colossians and Ephesians. "You hath he quickened", etc. If you attempt to introduce the idea of time, you spoil it, it is all moral. To enter into the idea of being quickened, you must be entirely apart from the flesh, and even apart from the body. "The body is dead because of sin". The Spirit connects itself with our spirit. In Old Testament times He connected Himself with the flesh; but now, living to God is in the Spirit. If you bring in flesh, or natural power, it spoils it. It is the Spirit witnesses with our spirits. We live apart from mere natural power, when it is a question of living God-ward there must be the abnegation of the flesh. It is a life with God, outside of a man's circumstances here; it is the circle in which Christ is. Still, in my circumstances I have to be for the glory of God.
Quickening with Christ is another order of things, and we cannot connect Christ with our life of responsibility here. I am under the Lord in it; but when it is a question of living together with Him, you have to be in another sphere for it; it is outside all here. The teaching here is all leading on to the truth of the body. We get the "body of Christ", and then we get "from whom all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God". In Corinthians we get the idea of one body, and the statement that it is Christ's body; but it does not give you the mystery which is, that it is of Christ, as Eve was of Adam. In Colossians we learn it is derived from Him. The epistle to the Corinthians is brought in to correct ecclesiasticism, which was a practical denial of the body here. If man sets up a minister, it is a denial of the truth of the body. In one body no one member can claim prominence; it must abide in its place; but when you come to Colossians, you get the wonderful truth -- "Christ in you the hope of glory".
We come now to the hortatory part. The apostle applies the doctrine. I suppose we get here what the purpose of heart is as connected with the doctrine which had been brought out. The doctrine is what precedes. They were dead with Christ, risen with Him; that is the ground of the exhortation which we get here. If we are dead with Christ, we cannot take account of ourselves as alive in the world. The point is the account we take of ourselves. "If ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?" Ordinances have to do with man's will, and they only apply to man in the flesh. The only ordinance we get in Christianity is the Lord's supper. It is the only thing which has the nature of an institution; it has the character of a commemoration. "Subject to ordinances". The real word is dogmatised, "why, as though alive in the world, are ye dogmatised?" In Christendom people are dogmatised, they are subject to ordinances, but they have no intelligent understanding of what they mean. The moment you come to dogmas, you have left the ground of Christianity. People cannot give account of things they go on with, which is the proof that they are dogmatised. Much that exists in Christendom has been taken up from Judaism and heathenism. The moment you go outside the Spirit, you have gone outside true Christianity.
What do you mean by outside of the Spirit?
F.E.R. Suppose you get into ordinances and institutions in which unconverted men can take part, you have got outside the Spirit. All the great systems around us are outside the Spirit. All that has a formal character is outside the Spirit of God. You could not impose formality on the Spirit of God. The ground of this epistle, and also of Ephesians and Philippians, is different to the other epistles. In the others the point is God's approach to man; in Romans,
Corinthians, and Galatians, it is God coming out to man; but Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are the other way round; it is man going in to God; even Christ is looked at in that way.
How do you apply this to Philippians?
F.E.R. God has exalted Him on high, and given Him a Name. In Him is set forth the calling on high. Hebrews takes up both. The apostle is God coming out; the Priest is man gone in. In Ephesians and Colossians the idea is priestly, not apostolic; it is man gone in. For that reason we get the thought of the body, because the body is identified with Christ, and it has gone in with Him. Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.
What are the epistles of John?
F.E.R. There it is God coming out.
Is there the same division in the gospels?
F.E.R. Yes. Mark and Luke are going in, and so you get the ascension in both; but Matthew and John are God coming out. It is as gone in that we get the thought of association with Christ. We shall have association with Him in His coming out again. We are associated with Him; we are quickened together, and raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places. You cannot make hard and fast rules, but you have to take the general import of what is presented in the gospels and epistles. The body comes in in connection with going in. Christ comes out the second time as King and Priest. He came at first as Apostle, and has gone in as Priest; but He comes out again as King and Priest after the order of Melchisedec. It is to establish blessing. In Matthew you get the kingdom of heaven; the establishment of the moral sway of what God has established in heaven; it involves a king. You get the moral sway of Christ in heaven now. It is going a long way to speak of people as not being alive in the world. It seems as if
we were very much alive in the world; it pulls one up. The Spirit of God evidently contemplates saints as not being alive in it. "Why, as though alive in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?" We often betray a considerable interest in the world, and yet it is inconsistent. Take the Christianity all around us; it is interwoven with the State. This is proved by its being called "The State Church". Dissenters, too, have become centres of great political influence, they are very much alive in the world.
These ordinances were connected with asceticism and harsh treatment of the body, but the general character of these things was not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh, for "every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving". It is not that which corrupts people. Now we get the positive side. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above ... set your affections on things above". All through the chapter the idea is kept up of the Christ -- the Head. It is official, where the Head is, there the great point of interest is, all takes character from Him. He is Head of all principality and power. In Daniel's time Jerusalem was the great point of interest; he opened his windows three times a day and prayed toward Jerusalem. We expect all to come from the right hand of God, not from Jerusalem. The influences which affect men come from heaven, but Christ is Head of all principality and power.
What is "not holding the Head"?
F.E.R. It is Christ as Head of all principality and power. That seems to be the antecedent; it is in contrast to people being taken up with angels. The entire body is in view here. In Ephesians the gifts are given for the edifying of the body. It is Christ's interest here. The idea of the body is priestly; it is association with the priest, as Aaron was with the people. The body gets the good of the Head. He
has ascended and received gifts, and now the body gets the good of all that Christ dispenses.
What is the thought of the body; verse 17?
F.E.R. New moons, feasts, etc., are shadows, but Christ is the substance. The substance, which is Christ and the "all things" was what was foreshadowed. We have not got the "all things", but we have Christ and the body.
Is there not a twofold idea in it?
F.E.R. Yes; all that was foreshadowed was Christ, and the "all things"; and while we have not yet come to the "all things", we have come to Christ and the body. Things are anomalous. Christ is Head of every man, but that is not the mystery; the mystery is Christ and His body, which is bound up in Himself, and not yet made manifest.
In what sense were principalities and powers spoiled, and made a show of openly?
F.E.R. Their true character was exposed. Everything came out in the death of Christ. The principalities and powers are the powers of evil. It is like what you get in Revelation 12; when you get the Man-child, you get the great red dragon. It is the forces of evil acting upon the world so that the Man-child might be devoured. The principalities and powers are the rulers of the darkness of this world; that is how they work and affect men down here; they are the rulers of the darkness. The powers of evil work to get an entrance by taking advantage of men's lusts and passions. It is often said that men are carried beyond what they intend, a man gets into a certain path and cannot stop himself; he gets into the current of evil. Saul sank so low as to consult a witch. The triumph was in the death of Christ, because there all was exposed; all was brought to an end in the death of Christ, "having forgiven us all trespasses". Then the legal system is gone in the death of Christ, the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. These
principalities and powers are made a show of openly.
"You being dead in the uncircumcision of your flesh" refers to the Gentile; it could hardly be said to the Jew. At the Red Sea there was smiting and the destruction of the enemy. In Jordan there was no smiting. It has been said that when you get into the land, the Red Sea and the Jordan coalesce. The starting ground here is the being circumcised with the circumcision of Christ; that is, they are on the ground of purpose; they are really in the land. Jordan is not the action of God, but the ark of the covenant passing through it, and you are in the fellowship of Christ's death. In regard to the world-system and Israel, relatively Christ is dead. The ark of the covenant goes into Jordan, and it is in that sense that He is dead, and we are dead with Him. The bride was taken from Adam, when a deep sleep fell upon him; that is what has taken place in regard to Christ; while He is dead so far as Israel is concerned, we are dead with Him and risen with Him; that is the platform of divine purpose; it is "faith in the operation of God", the energy of God who raised Him from the dead. "Wherein also are ye risen with him". What follows baptism is resurrection. In baptism we come on to the new platform; baptism is the answer of a good conscience, but in the full issue of it it goes on to being risen together with Him; resurrection ground is in view in baptism.
What is the difference between circumcision and baptism?
F.E.R. When you come to circumcision you have come to your baptism -- baptism is not a part of your personal responsibility or experience. In circumcision you come back to your baptism. Circumcision is putting off the body of the flesh, and that is practically burying oneself. Circumcision is experimental; it is the point where your mind is in accord with the crucifixion of Christ; when you can say, "I am
crucified with Christ". When people want to live in this world, their mind is not in accord with the death of Christ. We have to be in accord with the death of Christ, until He comes again; when He comes again it will be another matter. "Risen with him" is faith. It is the entering into the operation of God who raised Him from the dead. You must get into the light of the great system of which Christ is the beginning. That system will be established on the platform of resurrection. Death is upon everything; how can we find a footing with God except on the ground of resurrection? We have to get the light of the operation of God in raising Christ from the dead; it is the apprehension and light coming into the soul, of what God meant in raising Christ from the dead, and we are risen with Him. That new ground becomes the basis of conduct. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above".
In verse 18 the apostle was afraid of the saints being cheated of their portion; the reward is really Christ, but carries with it our place of association with Christ. The persistent effort of the enemy all along has been to bring Christianity down to the level of the world; within the reach of man in the flesh. That was the effort of the enemy -- 'voluntary humility'. You get an affectation of humility, with an unsubdued will beneath it; you see this in high-churchism. "Worshipping of angels" is another form, but it is all imagination; we know nothing about angels save their existence, and to go prying into it must be imagination. By far the larger part of Christendom at this moment who affect religion is after this sort of thing. People worship saints now, which is more gross. The germ of all these things came in in the apostle's day. We have two things to guard against in Christianity; that is, will and imagination. In religion there is great scope for imagination, and that is the very nature of it. All true religion depends upon
the way in which God has been pleased to reveal Himself. Christ is Head of all principality and power; it is good ones, and they will have their part in the world to come. Michael was a prince, and angels will have a great place in putting down the forces of evil; they will bind together the tares in bundles. Christ is the great Head of the world to come, which is put under the Son of man, so that all may be established on the ground of redemption. God has taken up the right of Redeemer in Christ, and hence it is that the world to come is established on the basis of redemption. Michael, in regard to the last time, stands up for the children of his people -- they have their place in that way. The angels are holy. There are angels who have been maintained by God in holiness, and they desire to look into redemption. Christ came into contact with the power of evil here when tempted by the devil, but He overcame, and then He began to spoil his goods. In the case of the legion, you get that they pass into the herd of swine, and they went violently down a steep place, and perished in the sea; it is a figure, really, of what happened to Israel.
In verse 17 the Christ is the great Head in whom everything is established. Feasts, etc., were shadows of what will be fulfilled in the millennium; meanwhile the substance, the body, has come in, the substance is of the Christ. The good things will come; they will be fulfilled in the kingdom. The feasts, new moons, etc., foreshadowed the good things to come, but in the meantime the body is of the Christ. There is the idea of substance in the word in contrast to shadow, and yet it really refers to the church. We belong not to the shadow, but to the substance. The assembly is the beginning in that way. All Scripture has in view the world to come, and we have come to the Head, and so we can have an apprehension of the entire system. The meaning of Christianity is, that
there is a body here, in which Christ lives. All that has ever been wrought of God will all come to light in the world to come; but the rest of the dead live not again until the 1000 years are fulfilled. What is heavenly is not dispensational. The earth will come under the benign influence of heaven on the heavenly city coming down, but heaven is outside of dispensation. It is a great thing that before Christ comes out in the character of Head of principality and power, that we hold the Head and are connected with and derive from Him. We belong to the world to come; we hold the Head. We are not to be insubject to the powers that be; they are ordained of God, but we want to be holding the Head, the Head of all principality and power. The apostle wept over those who minded earthly things. Instead of being taken up with the politics of earth, we know that God sitteth above the water-floods. The sea roars, but Christ sits above; "sitting" indicates rest. "Where the Christ is sitting", it is a place of rest for the moment. His offering work is over. He is sitting at the right hand of God. We know He gives rest; the moment He moves, it brings about a terrific revolution in heaven and on earth.
What is "the increase of God"?
F.E.R. It is the divine nature, really; it is all moral. It is the effect of all that is going on in the body; joints and bands hold all together. How these things are interfered with through the state in Christendom I cannot say. Joints and bands are most essential things to the practical working of the body; ministering nourishment and knit together. We should be of much more service to one another than we are. The Head is the source to the body, and so it will be at that day when He comes out; every family under the Head will derive from the Head. In the day of Christ, selfishness and covetousness, or pride, or arrogance will not be appreciated; meekness and gentleness will
have the place. There is nothing more unlovely than an out-and-out man or woman of the world, and yet after all they have to die, and are no better off than a beggar who dies in the workhouse.
The second coming of Christ is the completion of His first coming. He brought in the light and revelation of God morally, and when He comes in power He will bring in God. In the world to come people will have no sense of insecurity, "we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved". There will not be the same feverish excitement of mind; man's faculties will not then be impaired. In the things of God there is the greatest scope for his intelligence; the more you know of them, the more there is to be known. Intelligent Christians are not inferior to other people. Their minds have worked in a different direction. People are disposed to despise a Christian, because he is one, and disposed to regard him as fettered and petty. I do not believe it is true at all. "Mystery" is what God is working, but is concealed from human gaze. The world will be much astonished one day when it all comes out into manifestation. Here the "nourishment ministered" is by fulfilling our obligations to one another. John 6 is individual; there our constitution is built up by food. Man is really a religious creature -- it seems instinctive in man; the devil brought in this. Man deified his lusts and then worshipped them, and that is idolatry which is Satanic. Satan has changed his method in our day; he transforms himself into an angel of light. Things have to assume a new form to act upon men in our day, the light of Christianity having exposed philosophy.
Rem. Seek the things which are above.
F.E.R. Well, Daniel's point was Jerusalem. His great thought was Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt. We do not look for that. The point for us is, that all will be fulfilled from the right hand of God, and all is established in the One who is there, so that it is the great centre of interest to the Christian. I do not care for political changes here; to a Christian it makes no difference whether this country is ruled as it is, or comes under the domination of another power; the only point is that we might live a quiet, peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. England is no more to you than any other country. For the Christian everything is at the right hand of God, where Christ is; all is established in Him, and He is the Head of all principality and power. "Risen with him" is that you are on the same platform with Christ. In the world of which Christ is Head, all is on the platform of resurrection, but we are already risen with Him. Paul, at the end of the Acts, had dropped down a bit; he claimed to be a Roman, and a Pharisee; he got depressed for the moment, swayed by his zeal for the Jew, but he did not gain anything by it; he wanted to go to Jerusalem, and the Lord told him he had better not, but he never gained by it, for he never got a hearing there. God overruled it, but the practical result was that Paul went to Rome as a prisoner, instead of as a free man; but we see the Lord encouraging him. In Scripture you get the most eminent men, and their faults are not hidden a bit; things are painted as they were; they were not coloured, nor like photographs touched up!
It is a wonderful thing that God is to evolve a universe from one Man. The present world has been evolved from one man. That is what is going to be; it is all established; it does not remain to be established, it only remains to be displayed. "We have come to mount Sion", etc., they are not imaginary things. The "things above" are there. This world is a chaos, and no one can forecast events for fifty years to come. It is a scene of moral confusion. Christianity has failed in the world; the world has conquered it. It has, of course, effected God's purpose, but it has produced no revolution in the world; it is not peace now, but confusion.
Why is it "set your mind on things above", and not your heart?
F.E.R. We are first to seek the things where the Christ sitteth, then "have your mind on the things that are above"; "your life is hid with the Christ in God". It is the Christ, the Head. It is a great pity they have omitted the article. All will come from the One who is the Head of all principality and power -- from the right hand of God. "Your life is hid with the Christ". There is no element of spiritual life in the world; all is in Christ. We all held extraordinary ideas as to life: that we had life as God has it, that is apart from certain conditions. Man in the natural life cannot live without conditions. Let a man go up in a balloon, and go too high up, how long will he live? If persons say they have life, I say, where are the conditions? We have held impossible things. The conditions of life are all in Christ. It is a great thought that Christ is available to man, and all the conditions of life are there in Christ. If we are in Christ, then we come into the conditions, and then they are in us. The Christ is our life. The Christian has to live in Christ, his life is hid in God; it is not yet manifested. "When the Christ is manifested, who is our life, then shall ye also be manifested with him".
"Ye are dead". It will not do to take up an expression in the hortatory part of Colossians to prove the doctrine of Romans 6. We are only dead by reckoning so long as we are down here. The reckoning may be sound and real, and true in the power of the Spirit, still it is a reckoning. "Ye are dead"; that is, you have come to it in the sense of things in your own mind. Your title to die is that Christ has died, and we are to reckon ourselves dead, and to reckon ourselves alive. You must take up both sides. Until a soul is in the reality of being alive in Christ, you cannot reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin.
Dead to sin, to law, and the world; are they all reckonings?
F.E.R. Yes, I think so; otherwise it becomes dogma. It is in the power of the reckoning alive that you can take the death side. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live". It is so experimentally. No one could accept death here unless he apprehended life in Christ as the Head and Centre of another world.
What is "Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus"?
F.E.R. That is consistency with it; there is to be a reckoning of mind, but then you have to see that you are consistent with it; the reckoning becomes a basis, so here you get "mortify therefore". I should like to see people alive to the testimony of the Christ. God has made known to us the mystery of His will, to head up all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. I should like that to get into the view of people, and the testimony invariably refers to what is going to be displayed. We shall be very much alive when the Christ is manifested. It will be life then, but life will then still be dependent upon conditions. We never can get beyond reckoning at the present time, however real and true that may be. We get nothing by faith, and we do not reckon by
faith, but we do not get anything without faith.
Rem. "Thy faith hath saved thee".
F.E.R. Well, faith is the way of everything, but you get everything by the Spirit; we have nothing apart from Christ and the Spirit of Christ. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his". Faith is recognised for righteousness. A believer is accounted righteous for God by faith; but how is a man to get the good of it? It is only by the witness of the Spirit.
Rem. "Through faith of the operation of God".
F.E.R. Well, it simply brings the mind into accord with it. Abraham's faith was accounted for righteousness, but we are not told how far Abraham knew that, for the statement only gives how God accounted him.
Rem. "Thy, sins are forgiven thee".
F.E.R. That is said to us now by the Spirit. What answers to the word of Christ when He was here, is the witness of the Spirit; it is by the Spirit we know it.
F.E.R. We get two thoughts -- one in the end of the previous chapter, dead with Christ to the rudiments of the world; and then in the beginning of this chapter, "If ye then be risen with Christ". The two things are bound to go together. You could not be dead with Christ without being risen with Him. If we are risen with Him, we are dead with Him; and if you are dead with Him, you are risen with Him. It is a great thing to realise this. We are on another platform, not of man, or of the flesh, but on a platform of being risen with Christ. We are circumcised with the circumcision of the Christ. If we be risen, seek the things above, where the Christ sitteth. "When the Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory". The great bulk of people in the present day are going on with the world -- they are not dead with Christ to the rudiments of the world, and they are dogmatised. If
you have dogmas, you must have ecclesiastical authority; on the other hand, if you are risen with Christ, you seek the things above. It is a great thing to apprehend that new platform. Christ is risen, and the whole system of the world to come will be on the same platform with Christ, that is the resurrection platform; everything will have to be placed on that ground in order to be in accord with Christ. When Christ was here in the flesh, the disciples were taken account of as being on the same platform; they prayed, "Our Father, which art in heaven". Once Christ was risen, the entire platform was altered; it is their "knowing no man after the flesh". The disciples, when Christ was here, were recognised as in association with Christ as after the flesh, but when He was risen all was changed, and the platform entirely altered; it is then, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee". That was the new platform. The great congregation will be also on the ground of resurrection, and so Christ will praise in the great congregation. The question might profitably and well be raised, What do you belong to religiously? Do you belong to the world or to Christ risen? Faith in the operation of God is the apprehension and light of the platform on which God has seen fit to place everything by the resurrection of Christ. The promises were given to Abraham and confirmed to Isaac when in figure he was raised from the dead, that proved pretty clearly that all the promises would have to come in on the ground of resurrection. If it were not so, Abraham would not come into them. I do not see how God can bless except on that ground, for everything was under death. Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for everything; and He did so that everything might be placed on the footing of resurrection. We can see the working of things; it came in very early to try and accommodate Christianity to the world; that was the
effort of the Judaising teachers in early days, and which the apostle had so often to counteract.
F.E.R. It is all that prevails above; we have to look above for all that is good: "The way of life is above to the wise", Proverbs 15:24. "Every good and every perfect gift is from above", James 1:17. There is an above, and there is a below; and they are moral ideas. There is a scene above, and all there is ordered according to God. A man is coloured by what he pursues; if it is pleasure or gain, he is sure to be coloured by these. If we seek the things above, we shall be coloured by the things above. It is a great thing to apprehend that there is a scene of intelligence above all the moral confusion here. There are many things here which outwardly appear comely, but beneath the surface all is confusion. The "things above" are to be the object of pursuit. God gives colour to the things above. Surely there must be a place where God abides. He gives colour to it, and there is no confusion. When Christianity came in, idolatry was overthrown; but then the devil changed his tactics, he has tried to corrupt it.
A French astronomer is reported to have said, that he had searched the heavens with the telescope and could find no trace of God. It was very foolish; it is the working of the material mind of man. When Christ was here, no power of man could have detected Him; He was not to be discerned in that way. There is a scene above where God abides, and where there is no confusion. In regard to God Scripture says, "Whom no one has seen, nor can see". You get something very definite in connection with the things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. There is a scene, it may be impenetrable to man, but it is where the Christ sitteth. It is extremely beautiful in the end of Luke: "He was carried up into heaven". If you ask me where heaven is, I say, I don't know, but it is
somewhere, and there Christ sitteth. Peter says, "Who is gone into heaven". The things above refer to the scene of divine affection. The consequence of the mind of the Christian being carried above, is that the members upon the earth are put off, and another character of things put on; but these things are not quite the "things above". In the scene above, all is divinely perfect, divine affections flow there, and there is no obstacle to them, Nothing contrary, nothing out of gear there. The things above are divine things, where all is ordered after God. The things above never come below; we get the result and effect of them, but they never come below. In the beginning of the Revelation you get the heaven opened, and John sees the things above; he saw the ordering of things above; the throne was there, If we set our affection on things above, we shall learn the ordering of things there; there is no confusion there; all that is of God is there; it is the scene where divine affections flow unhinderedly. In the time to come, God will bring to pass that everything on earth will be ruled by what is above: that is the thought of the city. The source of all blessing is above. There would be no rain were it not for the operation and influence of the sun -- evaporation and the like. The central point of interest in "things above" to us, is the Christ. The Christ is intelligible to us. He is not unknown to us, and we can enter into the knowledge of Christ.
What are the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him?
F.E.R. That is not quite "things above". Things above are things above, The Lord says, "I am from above". There was a scene from which He came. We are to "seek the things which are above", We must enter into this, that there is a scene into which Christ has entered as Man; into which He is received with acclamation: That scene constitutes the "things above". Stephen saw the things above; he looked up
steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus; he was on the point of being put to death, and by the Spirit of God he got a sight of the scene above, where all is peace; there was One there, too, whom he knew. "Lord Jesus receive my spirit"; he knew that One. The rejection of everything on earth, and Jerusalem refused, and all the prestige connected with that, removes the scene of interest from earth; the scene of interest is now "where the Christ sitteth".
F.E.R. Because it is Christ viewed as the Head of all principality and power; it is Christ officially. Christ is at the right hand of God officially as the Head and Centre of the whole divine system. He is the seen, known, and recognised Centre of all reverence and affection in heaven. The glory of God and Jesus are inseparable. The Christ is not representative; it is connected with the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily, and as such Head of all principality and power. That is the Christ. Peter puts it, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him", 1 Peter 3:22. It is most wonderful that there should be One in that place who is within the range of our knowledge. He may be known. There are so many beautiful things connected with the Lord in the gospels. Take the end of Matthew 11"Come unto me all ye that labour ... and I will give you rest". "I am meek and lowly in heart" -- that is the Christ. The Christ who is our life.
How is our "life hid with Christ in God"?
F.E.R. When the heavenly city comes down from God out of heaven, your life will be no longer hid -- all will come then into manifestation. We don't know what the conditions of life will be. We await manifestation. We know it morally, but we do not know what we shall be. The creation itself waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Christ is hid in
God. He is hid for the moment. "The things above", when you get to them you come to God's abode. We shall dwell with God. "He that abides in love, abides in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16), and we find Christ there. It is most wonderful that we live because Christ lives. I do not live because the world goes on, or because I am a healthy man. I live because Christ lives; it is spiritually, of course. The Christ will be the life of God's universe. When God makes manifest His universe, Christ will be the righteousness of that world, and the life of it. Everything will be brought under the influence of Christ, Christ, the Sun of righteousness, will be the light and life of God's universe; and now we live because Christ lives. Everything for us depends upon our appreciation of Christ. It is our true measure, you may depend upon it. Christ is the life of the soul, and it is that which binds us all together. He is the eye of all our souls. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life", John 4:14. It is to Christ Himself it springs up; that is practically what eternal life means. Christ is going to be the life of the age to come. Christ is so great that He has ascended up that He may fill all things, and yet He would allow the disciples to ask Him questions, and to express their ignorance, and let a sinful woman touch Him. There are such heights and depths about Christ. He was not affected by the opinions of men here. He was far too great for that kind of thing. It is in that way that He has come within the range of our knowledge. He can be known in that way although He is the Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God.
The great fact is that God has come out to me, as low as I was, and that was death, and distance, and darkness, and that is redemption! Now we, by the Spirit, can go in to God, and we are permitted there
to see the relations between the Father and the Son, and between the Son and the Father; and I believe that these relations and the affections connected with them, constitute the things above. Christ is the Object and Centre of every intelligent affection above. We shall be above some day. We want purpose of mind to seek the things above now. Whatever a man sets his mind on gives colour to him. A man who gives himself to science becomes precise and hard and material; that is the effect of it.
We shall come out in distinction by and by, in the full character of sons of God. We shall not come in glory, as we go into death -- "sown in dishonour, raised in glory", "sown in weakness, raised in power". Death was dishonouring to God, it was a reproach that the creatures God had made had to go into death; the glory of God is resurrection; the reproach is set aside.
The argument of the apostle in verses 3 and 4 is that our life is hid, and we should be obscure down here. What follows in verse 5 is practical, not quite as in detail, but the place in which these things are to be held. We are not viewed as in heaven here, but we are in touch with heaven, for we are in His acceptance. If a Christian has accepted death with Christ, he cannot admit of such things as verse 5 contemplates; it would be inconsistent. The apostle says, "as unknown, and yet well known", the world taking no account of us, and yet in another way well known in the circle of grace. The members on the earth are the natural vessels of the flesh; if left to themselves, the flesh is bound to work in them. The point is, "I have died", and I cannot allow my members to live in that connection to which I have died; death has to be consistently maintained. We walked in these things when we lived in them. Verse 6 is future; it is a serious consideration; there are certain things in the world which are repugnant to God, and will in due
course bring down the wrath of God. One wonders sometimes if we know all the wickedness continually committed, and in such a place as London, that God bears with it, as He does.
Legislation does not do much to put down wickedness, neither does education; in the educated classes wickedness may take a less gross form, but the character of the evil is as great. We may not get such glaring crimes in the educated classes; but their education has not any effect upon wickedness, it enables people to keep it more under cover. We should be appalled if we knew what goes on. I know, as a Christian, what I am capable of, and it is a great mercy if by the grace of God we are restrained from giving way to the capabilities of the flesh. A man is not free of the flesh till he gets to Gilgal; there is always danger to the flesh so long as a man is entangled by the world. Chapter 2 is the doctrine, and chapter 3 is practical, based on chapter 2. The Red Sea is the judgement of God. Jordan is, we are dead with Christ. It is that which practically delivers from the world. We do not get the good of the brazen serpent until we come to Jordan. The brazen serpent is on the divine side. We do not enter the sphere of life where Christ is till we get to Jordan. "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood", is really Jordan. We get the Spirit of life in connection with the brazen serpent. It is as risen with Christ that we are in life.
The point in Colossians is our association with Him; not so much in Him, in heavenly places, but down here, on earth, we are in association with Him. Our association with Him is the sense of being in His acceptance. We are in the acceptance of His resurrection. God was glorified in His death, and He is risen. He is accepted, and we are risen, and in His acceptance. Then the next thing is, we come into His sphere of life. We learn first we are accepted in Him, and then we are in His sphere of life. We may get rid of what
follows (verse 8), they are habits acquired -- "anger, wrath, malice", etc. It will require a good bit of grace to put them off, but what we get in verse 5 is inherent in us; we do not get free of these -- they are lusts. Idolatry is whatever a man worships; covetousness is really the love of money -- money is his god. Idolatry refers to love of the world in any form.
Is a lie connected with the old man (verse 9)?
F.E.R. Lying is the most characteristic feature of the old man; it is a great propensity in fallen man. Take Eastern nations -- Chinese mendacity is almost natural, it is perfectly natural to the old man. The truth in Jesus is the putting off the old man. The apostle was able to speak in this way of the Colossians: "seeing that ye have put off the old man, and have put on the new", etc. We cannot transfer these statements to the Galatians, for instance. No one really has put off the old man until he knows something of its character; and it is only in the light of Christ that we discover the old man. We have another Man come. Christianity hangs on this. The second Man is out of heaven. All that is morally divine and heavenly is brought into manhood, and nothing will go to heaven but what came from heaven; even as to our body we get "our house which is from heaven".
F.E.R. It is Christ in the saints; what is to come out in saints is Christ, The new man is looked at abstractly here. It takes in the thought of all saints. As to the character of it, it is new creation. "New man" here is fresh in character; in Ephesians it is "after God" -- created; here it is renewed in knowledge; that is, everything is looked at in a completely different light; whatever is presented to saints, they see according to God in an entirely new way. Then it is that all distinctions of flesh disappear, and nothing is left but Christ, and there is nothing before God but
Christ. These distinctions exist in the old man, but it is only in the new man they are gone.
"Image of him that created him"; who is the "him"?
F.E.R. God. He is the Creator. "Image" is the exact likeness; things are seen entirely according to God. We see men according to their natural proclivities and peculiarities; but in the new man you do not do that. You then only take account of what is Christ in them. Everything is brought into manhood in Christ, so that it may be brought within the reach of man. It is a long time before nothing is left in us but Christ. It is very natural to view saints according to their natural peculiarities; it is another thing to view them in this light. The way in which we see Christ in others is the measure of how much there is of Him in us. The whole field is completely cleared, and nothing is left but Christ; the old man is gone! Nothing is left but Christ, and He is all, and in all. The practical working out of Christianity here is in the Christian circle, a circle in which all that is of Christ is recognised.
We get here a picture of what the world was as to the way people walked when Christianity came into it. Christianity produces effects, even when the power of it is not known. But here we get the state of things which existed when Christianity came into the world (see verses 5 and 8). It is a picture in a few words of the way in which people walked, under the influence of idolatry when God was unknown; man found ample scope and room for his lusts, as we get depicted here. We do not see things in exactly the same gross way now, as Christianity has produced certain results; but still, when God is unknown, people will be governed by their own lusts and will. When people live in darkness there is nothing to rebuke them, and therefore what is there comes out, and that is not strange. Any one who knows himself can find all these things in his
heart. I am sure I could. We never can be absolutely free of these things while down here. In contrast to these, what has come in for our faith is "Christ our life". It is in contrast to what naturally prevails and governs men. "Our life is hid with Christ in God". Christ is the life of our souls, and when He is manifested we shall come out with Him in glory. The assembly will come out, and give the law to the universe.
F.E.R. It is putting to death; these members have to be put to death. You have to deal with them in their conception. In verse 8 the things are more habits; in verse 5 it is more nature. Habits, if allowed grow upon you, and get the mastery in time. When man became lawless in regard to God, he became unfaithful in every other way. Infidelity in other relationships is bound to follow if a man becomes lawless God-ward. Corruption is bound to follow lawlessness. If a child became lawless in regard to its parents and broke away from its relationships, it is bound to become corrupt. It was on account of the moral irregularities which came in, that God brought in the waters of the flood. People are trying, at the present time, to prove that the flood is a myth; but it is an attempt to set aside any interference on the part of God. Things are restrained by the influence of Christianity for the moment, but when the apostasy comes in you will get moral irregularity. When man becomes lawless in regard to God, there can be no doubt the marriage tie will go. When Christianity in the power of the Spirit is gone, all check will be removed.
"Covetousness which is idolatry". Covetousness is not so much lust here as avarice. If a man begins to acquire money, he little understands what a hold on him it can have; man worships money because it gives him a place in the world. If you love anything too much, whether money or even a child, the danger
is idolising. What you love you readily worship. Money is the vehicle of commerce; it has value for what it will acquire; you can get your money's worth. In Ephesians 5:5 it is a covetous man who is an idolater. It is the same word; it is an avaricious man. If you get a man avaricious, he very soon becomes unscrupulous. The love of money is the root of every evil. The great thing in contrast to it is to live in the life of Christ; to live in the appreciation of Christ. "Because I live, ye shall live also". It is a very practical thing to live in Christ. It is a great thing for Christ to live in the heart of the Christian, for if so, then it will govern you. If Christ is our life, then we are rich, for all riches are in Christ. Sunshine has beneficent effects, so Christ is our life. We want to be continually in the sunshine of Christ. It is a great thing for us to get into the reality of Christ, of where Christ is, and what Christ is; people are not half enough alive to it. In early days the riches of Christians were that they appreciated Christ, the principle that ruled them, and was the life of their souls, was Christ at the right hand of God.
There is a deliberate attempt in Christendom to connect Christ with the world. In early days the power connected with the Name made the lame walk, and leap, and praise God, as it will Israel in the latter day, when the lame man shall leap as a hart. Silver and gold could not give that. The Christian is not to live by the world, but to live by Christ. "He that eateth me, even he shall live because of me". The conditions of eternal life are unalterable and unchangeable, although people die, and pass off the scene, and await the resurrection, Natural men die and pass off the scene, but the sun and air remain for others who follow. So spiritually it is the same; the conditions of eternal life remain for Christians to enter into, and that is true, even though many die and pass away.
In Old Testament times people lived on promises, now we live on Christ, in whom all the promises are gathered up. What a contrast to all the lust and pride, and arrogance and will of man, is the meekness, and grace, and gentleness of Christ; all that is in Christ being the life of the soul. If Christ is the life of the soul, the character of Christ must come out. The old man has his lusts and tempers, but the new man is renewed in knowledge according to Christ. In the millennium the outward distinctions of nationality will not go for much; they will exist to a certain extent, but what is moral and is of Christ will override it all, and will tend to bind everything together. The characteristics of the new man will prevail. A Jew will not make much of being a Jew in the millennium. The Jews will be a blessing to others, they will be like a dew from the Lord. The seat of every beneficent influence will be in the heavenly city; but then the heavenly city will become a joy to the whole earth.
We put off the deeds of the old man by putting off the old man; the putting off and putting on are the foundation of practice; they are what I would call a state of mind by the Spirit in virtue of which you discountenance the one and adopt the other. The old man was terminated in the death of Christ, and Christ characteristically is the new man; so we in mind discountenance the one and adopt the other.
"Mortify" is applied to things which you never can be free of down here, but you have to put them to death in their first conception. Habits are what are acquired; lying is a habit, we are to "put away lying". You cannot help lust having a place in you; it is there, but you can put it to death in its first movement. Lying and anger are habits, and a man may put these off, and so get free of them.
What is "Renewed unto clear knowledge, after the image of him that created him"?
F.E.R. The new man is characterised as being renewed. Knowledge is capability; it is the apprehension of things by which you view everything from an altogether different standpoint. In the new man there is capability to understand God's things. The character of the new man is that he is renewed, made different. If I put on the new man, then it is myself. I have to be consistent with what I have adopted. Here, the putting off and putting on is stated abstractly; but when I have come to it, then it is I who am "renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him". Image is exact impression of. The "putting on" is really a new creation; what we "put on" is what is of God. You may be exhorted to put it on, and yet if you do put it on, it is all the work of God. It may be anomalous in that way. If I hear the voice of the Son of God I live; and yet if I live, the truth is it is divine power, creative power, which has made me live. A moment does come when in experience the Christian puts on the new man; and yet when He is put on, it is said, "he is created". Christ does not fit Himself according to man. Nationality began at Babel, and with it rivalry and hatred.
What is "Christ is all and in all"?
F.E.R. He is all as object, and in all as life. He is all to us, and we live by the appreciation of Christ. In natural things the husband lives in the affections of his wife, and for that reason he is all to her. If Christ is all and in all, that must bind us pretty much together; and it must be so. It is a perfect object, and a common object.
We cannot make much of nationality or patriotism in the light of this: "where there is neither Greek, nor Jew, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free". If we put on the new man, it is to govern us in all the detail of everyday life. In the new man all idea of nationality comes to an end; and in contrast to that "Christ is all and in all". It is for this reason that in the world
to come the distinctions between nations will very largely be overcome. God will be glorified in this order of things; but this order of things is not entirely according to His mind, and so we get "Behold I make all things new"; then it will be God and man.
Rem. When imperialism is crushed, things will take a simple form.
F.E.R. "Put on therefore as the elect of God". When the Spirit of God has come to that point, the new man put on, then the saints are viewed in the place of Christ here. It is really Christ under the eye of God: "Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth". The graces of Christ are to be expressed in the saints down here; we are in the place of the "holy and beloved", and if we were in the sense of being that, in the eye of God, it would have a great effect upon us in regard to our ways; the great point would be that what is of Christ should come out in us, "bowels of mercies", etc. It began with that; Christ came in in "bowels of mercies", and the same thought is to be continued in us. It is the thought of the body standing here in the place of Christ. "Holy and beloved" is simple: the answer to the prayer of the Lord in John 17, "that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them". What is to mark us is the expression of all that is of God in Christ; it is what it is in its adaptation to things down here.
It is curious that the epistles which speak most about the mystery bring these natural relationships into view -- that is, husbands, wives, children, etc. We get nothing in Romans nor in Corinthians nor in Galatians as to them; but in these two epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, where the mystery is taken up, you do get them. I think it shows that all these relationships have their place, and come in, God having brought all into reconciliation.
Does it indicate a state in which they are fulfilled?
F.E.R. Yes. God recognises everything which He Himself has established; all is taken up in reconciliation. What is mystery now will be made manifest in the world to come. It is manifest now, in the way of testimony, but it will be manifested in display. "That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak"; that was to faith in those to whom the apostle was speaking.
How do the masters and servants come in?
F.E.R. I do not know that these relations will be done away with in the world to come. There are people who are unable to stand on their own legs, and God may make provision for them.
Rem. We get a picture of that relation in Boaz and his servants.
F.E.R. I am not putting out that there will be that institution of masters and servants in the world to come; but there are those who seem incapable of undertaking for themselves, and God may make provision for such. The millennium will be perfect as regards government, but as regards man you must look beyond. God may recognise certain things which are not a perfect state of things as regards men; it is a perfect state of things as regards governmental order. The Spirit of God in taking up these relationships in the epistles in which the mystery is found, it seems to me to indicate that they may have their place in the day when the mystery will come into display, that is, in the world to come. The divine thought in regard to children is brought in here, and it shows that they will have their part in the world to come.
God takes up everything which He has established, all along the line, and all is made good in Christ. The assembly is a preparatory witness before the day of display, that is the divine thought. It is a witness to Israel, you get that thought in Corinthians. The assembly is a witness to holiness and unity; the temple and the body. Then again the thought of the flock
is taken up in the assembly. No godly Israelite, even in Old Testament times, ever embraced less than the twelve tribes, as the divine thought in regard to Israel was unity. In the assembly you get the preparatory witness to holiness, and unity, and love. What has been set forth is possible, and what has been set forth in the assembly is possible, because it has been. So if the Jews were once in the goodness of God, they can be again. In the assembly you get the preparatory witness of everything. There is a witness in the assembly that in the true Isaac "all nations of the earth shall be blessed"; but that is but a witness to what shall be. The assembly is (if we could see it) a witness to all that will be. The assembly is promoted from being a witness down here, to having a place above. It does not deserve it, for it has not been a faithful witness, except at the beginning; still it gets its promotion and goes above. The assembly will know all about things, and will exercise a most profound influence on the earth, just as the natural sun does. The righteous are to shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, and it will have a profound influence. "Her light was like unto a stone most precious" (Revelation 21:11); that is a variegated light. I do not think we fully appreciate the great connecting link which the church is with what is past, and with what is to come. The Old Testament looks on to the world to come -- the kingdom; but then the assembly has taken up all that has been, and witnesses to all that shall be. So you can understand "that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God", Ephesians 3:10.
Rem. As to the future, there will be glory to God in the assembly throughout all ages.
F.E.R. The assembly here is a witness. Israel was a witness, the assembly is a witness, it is the body, the medium of diffusion. All is set in movement by the
body; the body is the anointed body, and the object of the anointing is to diffuse the light. We have an unction, the anointing is that we may understand. "The anointing teacheth you", and it is that the light may be diffused. I take it up from the gospels of John and Luke. In the former Christ is the vessel of light -- the Temple; but He was the Man anointed to diffuse the light. This latter is what we get in Luke's gospel. The body is not only in view of our understanding by the Spirit, but also that the light might be diffused by the Spirit, and that is where gifts come in. The gifts are in the administration of the Spirit. The assembly, too, is the temple, and also the body -- the anointed vessel. "So also is the Christ". Where was the world before the light came in as to these relationships? Loosen the first tie, and the effect on the children is disastrous; loosen the tie between man and wife, and it will loosen the second, that towards children. In America this is very evident. The first tie is held loosely, and as to the children, they regard themselves as good as the parents. As lawlessness becomes more manifest, you will get the disintegration of society, and that will pave the way for full-blown lawlessness, and the setting up of Antichrist; but the mystery of lawlessness already works. The Spirit of God will hinder until He be taken out of the way. It is a great mercy that we have divine light, and that the divine thought is given to us in regard to these relationships.
What is the difference of the standpoint in Ephesians and Colossians in regard to these relationships?
F.E.R. In Ephesians they are taken up at their full height. The first witness given by God (Adam and Eve) was to unity. They were to be "one flesh", a setting forth in that sense of Christ and the assembly. Unity is inseparable from union. Unity depends upon union; union is an actual bond, an actual joining. Unity really depends on the Spirit. "By one Spirit
are we all baptised into one body". We are joined to one another by one Spirit. It is a practical thing, but we are to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit.
Is it possible to all think one thing?
F.E.R. It is all dependent upon every mind being kept within the limits of the Spirit, and that is the mind of Christ; then we shall all think the same thing.
On what ground are the children exhorted here?
F.E.R. It supposes the children of believing parents that they are in the Christian circle -- that they are baptised. These admonitions are spoken assuming that they had been brought in a formal way into the Christian circle, corresponding to the court of the tabernacle, and the precincts of the house where the laver was, and where the altar of burnt-offering was -- a place of acceptance; but the laver signified being washed from the pollutions of the world. Children escape these in a formal way by baptism, for the effect of the latter is to bring them into the precincts of the tabernacle. There are two public recognised institutions which God has allowed to remain as a witness to the truth of Christianity. They began from the beginning; for all records show that both baptism and the Lord's supper were practised from the beginning. People are very unintelligent if they do not see the propriety of baptism in regard to their children. The assembly does not properly belong to earth; it is only here for the moment, and yet everything is taken up in Christ. The law recognised children. The Lord took them up in His arms. So, too, now, they are recognised, and they will have their place in the world to come. The slaves (verse 24) will "receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ". It is the thought of the kingdom. It is retributive; you get both "reward" and "receiving for the wrong he hath done".
F.E.R. Then masters are to give that which is just and equal.
Verse 3: "To speak the mystery of the Christ". It is a great pity that the article is omitted in our version. The Christ is the official Head, and includes the whole system which comes into reconciliation. "By him to reconcile all things". The apostle's idea of preaching was to preach the mystery of the Christ. The gospel preached today is a diluted gospel (I do not say adulterated). Christ is to be presented as Head of all things on the ground of redemption, and He is the centre of attraction for man; and hence, if people are attracted to Christ, they are connected with the "all things". Christ has come in as Head, and man has responsibility in regard to Christ, for He is Head of every man. Man has responsibility in regard to God, but he has also responsibility in regard to Christ. The latter is the greater test. In preaching, Christ has to be presented from heaven, that is the report of the Holy Spirit. Christ has ascended up on high, that He may fill all things. Faith cometh by report, and report by the word of God. The report has come by the Holy Spirit, and the report is that Christ is Head of every man on the ground of redemption, and that therefore He is an object of attraction to men. God will take all up on the ground of redemption.
F.E.R. Reconciliation depends upon redemption. All will be put under the Son of man, and angels will be put under Him as such. Unfallen beings like holy angels cannot enter into the sense of God's mercy as we can. Christ can; He came under the judgement of
our sins and iniquities, and therefore He is the vessel of God's mercy to man; but unfallen angels cannot enter into that. It would be a great thing to enter into the mystery of the Christ. The only thing which will save things at this moment is the testimony of the Christ, and it has to be understood. Many people nowadays are hurried into preaching; we hear of boy preachers. What can such an one know of the mystery of the Christ? The mystery of the Christ is much more than presenting Christ as a Saviour. It is Christ in regard to all things. I do not think the testimony of the Christ is to be understood in a moment. The apostle had conflict for these Colossians to the end "that they might have the riches of the full assurance of understanding".
At the end we get the mention of different names, Epaphras, Luke, Demas, Archippus, Onesimus, etc. Demas is not described at all -- all the others are; there is some comment about every other. Demas has a cold mention, his defection may not have become apparent. The apostle was guided by the Holy Spirit. If a man has received a ministry of the Lord, he has to see that he fills it out. If a man goes about, he ought to have a sense of having a ministry from the Lord, and he ought to fulfil it. It was a recognised thing that Archippus had received a ministry.
The fact of our having the New Testament scriptures has not altered the ground of faith. The ground of faith is what it always was; that is the report. "Who hath believed our report?" "So faith then is by a report, but the report by God's word", Romans 10:17.
Numbers 10:1 - 36; Hebrews 10:19 - 22
The things that happened in regard to Israel happened unto them for ensamples, and are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world have come. It is extremely important to remember that. We get a great deal of detail furnished to us in connection with the wilderness, and the ways of God in connection with the people there; and these things are written for our learning. The anti-type to these things is found now in the assembly. What took place in the wilderness will never be repeated. So far as I understand it, God will never walk in the midst of Israel in the future. When the Lord comes again, He meets the people in the land; there will be also an ingathering of Israel from the nations; but that is not the wilderness. The people will not be delivered again from Egypt; the journey through the wilderness into the land -- all that has been, will not be repeated. What occurred were types of spiritual things -- things which are happening at the present time to us, and so you can understand that these things are written for our learning. I think I have been accustomed to look upon a great deal of that which is recorded here as having reference to the future, whereas I see now more and more plainly that it has far more reference to the present. We have set forth in types and shadows God's ways with a heavenly people in the wilderness; and we can derive much instruction from all this detail.
Now if you admit that, all that we get in this chapter must have some kind of fulfilment in us. This chapter (Numbers 10) is of great interest, because it is the first movement of the people in the wilderness: the tabernacle moves for the first time. Everything was
arranged according to divine order; the tabernacle is set in movement and comes to a resting-place; and we see what marked its movement, and also what marked its coming to a resting-place. In the wilderness, in general, everything was movement. God's people could not rest there. It was not a place where they could have a city of habitation. People do not settle down in the wilderness. If you find Christians settling down, they are settling down in the plains of Moab. The wilderness is the place of death. Hence, what marks the wilderness, generally speaking, is movement, but at the same time, occasional rest. The ark of Jehovah went before the people, to find for them a resting-place, and from time to time they found a resting-place in the wilderness.
When first the people came out of Egypt, they were not occupied with the ark of the covenant, or with God dwelling among them: that did not take up their attention. What they were occupied with was salvation from the hand of the enemy, which furnished the subject of the song in Exodus 15. It is quite true that salvation was the pledge of something more; that the God who had brought them out would bring them in; but they were taken up -- and rightly -- with salvation from the Egyptian. Two things were true in regard to them: they were a justified people in virtue of the blood of the lamb, and at the same time, they had salvation from the power of the enemy. They had seen how God had destroyed the Egyptians; the power of death too had been broken; the Red Sea smitten in two by the rod of Moses. The moment that God made in Christ a way through death into resurrection, then the power of death was broken. Death was smitten in its hold over man, and the fear of death, which was in the hand of the enemy, passed away. We do not fear death: why? Because through death there is a way to life. The true David has entered into conflict with the enemy; the head of the giant is
taken off, and is in the hand of the true David. This is true for a justified people, which Israel was in type. God had not seen iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel, and He had been pleased to give them deliverance from the enemy. The same thing is verified in the experience of believers. When converted, they rejoice that they are justified, and, if they go on, in having found salvation. They are no longer in terror of death or Satan, because God has made through death a way into life. But when we go a little further another thing comes into view. When Israel was brought into the wilderness, they had no tabernacle of God among them: that did not come in until some time afterwards. In fact, the tabernacle was not set up until the beginning of the second year. God gave injunctions to Moses to take from the people material wherewith to construct the tabernacle; but the tabernacle had to be constructed and set up. But the first experience of the people in the wilderness was not connected with that. Before that came into view they had had many a lesson to learn; they had to prove the resources of God, and His mercy in regard to a people in the dearth of the wilderness. They tasted the manna, and drank of the water from the smitten rock. They had experience of the faithfulness and the competency of God in regard to a people in such circumstances; but while that was going on they had not the tabernacle in view. Now in this chapter the tabernacle comes into view, and forms the most important point in relation to the people.
Express injunctions were given as to how the tabernacle was to be carried, and the arrangement of the people was connected with the tabernacle. The people could not move an inch without the tabernacle, and if they wanted a resting-place, everything depended on the tabernacle; if they were to go out in conflict, everything depended on the ark of the covenant. The whole life of the people was bound up now with
the tabernacle of the congregation. God had redeemed the people for a purpose of His own, and that is, that He might have a dwelling place here upon earth.
The people could not fail to get the greatest gain from the fact of God dwelling among them; but God dwelt among them, not for their pleasure, but for His pleasure. That is an immense point to apprehend in regard to God dwelling with men. I believe it is the pleasure of God, in result, to dwell in the universe. The universe is to be the house of God; where God will dwell for His pleasure. The universe will derive the greatest possible gain from this; it will get experience of all the goodness of heaven; but the fact remains that God will dwell there for His own pleasure.
There is one more point I want to touch upon in regard to the children of Israel: and that is, that though they had the ark of the covenant, they never saw it. The only people that saw the ark of the covenant were the priests. It was carefully covered up even before the Levites came forward to carry it. The people never saw it; they had not boldness to enter into the holiest -- not even the high priest had. I do not think the priests went into the holiest at all. The high priest went in once a year; but the way into the holiest was not yet made manifest. The ark of the covenant sought a resting place for them and led them against their enemies; but at the same time, they never saw it. There, in a way, the type fails. I am going to show you how the detail of this chapter is fulfilled in regard to us; but then, we get a great deal more than comes out here, and that is what led me to read the passage in Hebrews 10. We have "boldness to enter"; and the moment you enter the holiest you come into the presence of the ark of the covenant.
I speak of these things because they indicate steps in Christian experience. We begin with redemption, being delivered from the power of the enemy and brought into the enjoyment of salvation. Then we go
on to the recognition that God is dwelling here by the Spirit, that He has a dwelling place in the midst of the assembly in the wilderness; then we go on to another point: we enter the holiest, and there contemplate the ark of the covenant. That is a great point to come to. When you come there, you have understanding, and are intelligent according to God.
It is an important point in the experience of a Christian when he recognises the fact that God is dwelling here. This fact is clouded to a very large extent in Christendom. The great bulk of Christians have no idea of the presence of the Spirit. Evangelical Christians have little idea connected with the Spirit, beyond an influence. The knowledge that God is dwelling here by the Spirit is limited to a comparatively small number of Christians. It is sad that it should be so, but the reason of it is intelligible. Men have tried hard to make Christianity a religion of the world, and the Spirit of God will not connect Himself with the world. When man came into prominence in Christianity, the Spirit of God was virtually displaced, and men lost the idea of God dwelling here by the Spirit. Men use still the expression, "the house of God"; but the common thought of it is that of a material dwelling place. The house of God in the true sense is almost entirely lost sight of, and the presence of the Spirit practically ignored. Do you think that if Christians believed in the presence of the Spirit they would have such things as ordered divine service, clergy, or appointed ministers? All that belongs to the rudiments of the world, and it goes in a moment when the fact is recognised that God is dwelling here by the Spirit. The recognition of that truth has had the effect of bringing many of us out of the various religious associations in which we were found in the world. It was a fact of such immense import that we were prepared to break with associations, friends, and even relatives, because of it. But the
greater part of us were converted long before we recognised the truth, that God was dwelling here by the Spirit.
Now I want to point out how the presence of the Spirit is bound up with all our wilderness life. The assembly is in the wilderness, and the Spirit of God is present, dwelling here, and the Spirit's presence affects every detail of a Christian's life. In the case of Israel, as we have seen, the arrangement of the tribes was determined by the tabernacle of the congregation; their whole wilderness life and order had reference to the tabernacle of the congregation.
Now all our order down here is determined by the presence of the Spirit, for Jew and Gentile are builded together for a habitation of God by the Spirit. You can see what the effect of that must have been in early days. Think of a Jew with a family in the early days of Christianity, and a Gentile with a family, both brought into Christianity -- justified by the faith of a risen Christ and indwelt by the Spirit, they were brought into unity. Suppose for a moment that the family of the Jew were not converted, yet the Jew had to consort with the Gentile and to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; just imagine what a deadly offence that may have been to the family of the Jew! And yet, the life of the Jew and the life of the Gentile were determined by the fact that God was dwelling here by the Spirit. The Jew and the Gentile had to regard that, and in spite of family associations and everything else, had to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The same thing holds good in the present day. In a worldly family one member may be brought into the light of the truth, the recognition of the presence of the Spirit of God, and that person takes a certain course in consequence, that is, can no longer go on with worldly religious associations, but is in fellowship
with people who are to a large extent despised in the world. What deadly offence that will often cause! You will see thus how the recognition of the Spirit's presence determines the course of a person here in the world, just as the tabernacle determined the order of Israel. I suppose the first obligation under which we are in the world is to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. A wife may have to do violence to the feelings of her husband because of that.
I bring these things forward to show that what is set forth here in the type is fulfilled now in the church; our course is ordered in reference to the Spirit, and we have to regard His order. Just as the twelve tribes were arranged in regard to the tabernacle of the congregation, so we are arranged in reference to the fact that God is dwelling here. A white man and his slave -- a black man -- may both be converted and brought to recognise the presence of God by the Spirit. They are to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace -- but what deadly offence that may cause in the world! The world is framed on a totally different order -- on the order of the pride of man. Christian life, rightly understood, is framed on the recognition of the presence of God -- God dwelling here by the Spirit. Hence our first obligation is to carry out the order which is consequent upon that.
But we are continually in movement, because the wilderness is a place of movement. In the book of Chronicles David speaks in regard to the Levites that there had been a time when they were occupied in carrying the tabernacle, and now they had come to a place of rest. David found a resting place for Jehovah, and God saw fit to accept that place; but in the wilderness, the ark of the covenant was rarely quiet -- it was continually in movement. You could not get a greater expression of divine grace than in
God accommodating Himself to the position of the people. If they had to march, God marched with them.
I trust we are continually in movement. It is a bad sign if we are not. If there is not continual exercise here, we are settling down into complacency with what is in the world. The influences of the world are extremely subtle, and where people are successful in, or have adaptability to the world, they are in the greatest danger of succumbing to the influences of the world. There ceases to be exercise; they settle down on their lees; they have everything their heart can wish. They forget that the bridegroom is taken away, and that the present time is one of fasting, and not of feasting. What is suitable to the wilderness is not rest; it is a place of exercise, and almost everything that comes in, in regard to our life down here, if we are at all faithful, tends to bring about exercise. In endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace many things come before me in my individual path which tend to cause exercise, because they raise the question of fidelity to the Lord. A possible marriage, an engagement in business, anything down here, will tend to raise the question of fidelity to the Lord in the mind of the saint. In the detail of Christian life I do not think the Lord will make known to people that He has a particular mind in regard to this detail or that. People are often exercised as to where they should go to live. I do not know that the Lord has any particular will in regard to that. If you want guidance from Him you must have no reservations in your mind; you must not say that a certain place would be prejudicial to health; you must go to Him with your mind as a clean sheet if you want His guidance. But I think these details are left to Christians, and they are tested by them in fidelity to the Lord. If we seek to order our way down here with reference to the Lord, I think we
shall not go very far wrong, because God has given to us the spirit of a sound mind.
I refer to these things to indicate how true it is that the wilderness is not a place of rest, but of continual exercise; and yet, after all, remember this: God is going before the assembly. The great point is that we should recognise the presence of the Spirit of God, maintaining us in fidelity to the Lord. God is going before us now, to find a resting place. It is a great thing when we come now and again to a resting place. The idea of a resting place is that exercise ceases for the moment, and we come together to recognise God and His goodness -- that He is amongst us. There could not be worship while the people were in movement; everything was disturbed; but when the ark came to rest, then there was the opportunity for the service of God, and that is what I understand by the tabernacle resting. The people got the opportunity of recognising what was due to God in the way of worship. It may be with us that, during the week, all is exercise; but the Spirit of God leads us to a place of rest. We cease from exercises, and come into the blessed sense that God is amongst us, to make us conscious of His goodness and the fatness of His house. It is a point of great moment, in the history of Christians, that we come together in assembly, recognising the fact that God is here of a truth.
Then there is also the testimony of God in the world. The ark goes forward -- "Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee". That was one thought connected with the ark of the covenant -- the leading out in conflict that the enemies of the Lord might be confounded. You will not suppose that I am referring to conflict with men -- it is with spiritual enemies; they are to be confounded, and to flee before the ark of the covenant when Christ leads in the power of His testimony.
Now take into account these few simple thoughts. The fact that God is dwelling here by the Spirit determines our order, and the keeping the unity of the Spirit is of paramount importance. Then, by the very fact of the Spirit of God being here, we are in continual exercise, and He will keep us in exercise; but at the same time, we are furnished with a moment of rest now and again, and then we follow the ark of the covenant going forward in conflict against the enemies of God. This is all fulfilled to those who recognise the truth that God is dwelling here by the Spirit.
Now I go a point farther. I want to draw attention to the fact that the people of Israel never saw the ark of the covenant. There are a great many Christians now who understand the exercises of the wilderness; have had the enjoyment of the resting place; and have an interest in the testimony of the Lord; but it may be that they have never contemplated the ark of the covenant. I am almost afraid to speak of it, because boldness to enter the holiest is such a wonderful thing. I read the verses in Hebrews 10 to indicate what we well know, that we have that boldness -- it is open to us to meditate on the ark of the covenant. Evidently the Hebrews had not got that far, else the apostle would not have spoken to them in the way in which he did, for after making known to them that they had boldness to enter into the holiest, he says, "Let us draw near". They had not drawn near. The entering the holiest is to contemplate that which is there. Now I want to indicate what is there. So long as the first tabernacle was standing, the way into the holiest was not manifest. While the first tabernacle was standing, those who served were taken up with the things connected with the future glory of Israel. The table of shewbread, the candlestick, and the incense altar probably set forth the future glory of an earthly people in connection with Christ. So long as
these were in view, the thought of entering the holiest was not present; but now that the first tabernacle has no standing, all that remains is the holiest of all, and in the holiest of all is the ark of the covenant. What I understand by the ark of the covenant is the secret of divine ways. The ark of the covenant conveys to my mind the idea of the great Head out of which the whole system of the world in which God will be glorified is to be evolved. It is no small thing to contemplate that. It is the holiest, and you have to be holy according to God in order to contemplate the breadth and length and depth and height of that vast system.
Now I will make that idea a little plainer if I can. Just contemplate what Christ is. He came here, the righteous One, who could perfectly glorify God on the earth, and set forth the principles of the kingdom. He could draw a perfectly defined line between good and evil; Psalm 45. The position of Christ here upon earth was, that He was establishing the great principles on which the throne of God would be based. Then He took up at the cross every liability of man, in order that, in His death, He might abolish the lawless man, the man in whom God had been dishonoured, and Himself come in as the Sun of righteousness. He accomplished redemption, and in doing it abolished that man. But then, He glorified God, and was raised again from the dead and carried to the right hand of God, far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. The thought which that brings before us is this, that the whole universe of bliss is to be evolved from Christ, out of the Head. If He fills all things, there is no room for anything else. The whole solar universe is filled with the light and heat of the sun, and there is no room for any other light. The electric light is very poor in the face of the sun. The only light I know of superior to that of the sun is the light of the Sun of righteousness. Paul
saw a light above the sun. Now that is the Head -- the ark of the covenant. The law of God was in His heart. The law of God is love. Christ came here with the law of God in His heart, that He might make that the law for the universe. The law of this world is lust and pride, but the law which Christ will give to the universe of bliss will be love. He will bring about that in that universe; the ruling principle shall be love, and everything will originate in the love of God. The love of God will be so made known and become so real to men, that it will be the law of the moral universe. The great principle of the Ten Commandments was love: if we love, we fulfil the law. Now take up the detail of Colossians 2, "In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily". Christ is replete with divine intelligence. The next thing is, "You are complete in him, who is the head (entitled to give direction) of all principality and power". I judge of every principality and power in the world by Christ, because He is the Head. Then He is the Head of the body, the assembly. The assembly lives in His life: He is the life of that body. The body is evolved from Him; and so I might go down to every other circle. The Old Testament saints will be in heaven in the life of Christ. Israel upon earth will take the law from Christ, and the same principle will apply through every circle. Every family is named of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is evolved from the great Head, from the Sun of righteousness, the ark of the covenant.
I wonder if we have all contemplated that? I am afraid there may be many who are not prepared to enter into it; but it is there to be entered into. The great point of entering into the holiest is that you may contemplate Christ and that which is to be evolved from Christ; what Christ is as the Centre and Head and Sun of the universe of bliss. When all is filled by Him, you will not contemplate it in the same way. The privilege that we have now is to contemplate all
in Christ, when it is not displayed and there is the possibility of entering into it. Christ is the great Priest over the house of God, and the house of God in result is the universe. I do not think you can contemplate this except in holiness and by the Spirit of God; but it is there to be contemplated.
I thank God that He has given us the faintest apprehension of the ark of the covenant. It is a most wonderful privilege to think of that great system of glory involved in Christ. It is going to be displayed; but it is an immense privilege, in the meantime, to contemplate it in the One who is the blessed Head and Centre and Source of it all.
Luke 12:1 - 40
A great part of the New Testament Scriptures refers to what the mind of God is as to what we should be down here. I think I might say that the bulk of the writings of the apostles has that in view. They do not speak of the order of our conduct in heaven, but of our testimony here. The Spirit of God takes care to assure us that we have a place in heaven, because we have no place on earth. If we had a place recognised of God on earth, the Spirit of God would not speak to us of a place in heaven; but a place in heaven is the only place we have. Here we are strangers and pilgrims. We are followers of them who through faith and patience inherit promises. The effect of the promises on Abraham was that he became a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth; he had no place here. Christ has gone to prepare a place for us; and now God has raised us up and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ; but then, the point is, What are we to be down here? And you may be sure that if we answer to the mind of God in what we are down here, it is a true preparation for our place in heaven. I think it is a great thing to ascertain the mind of God as to us here. We can arrive at that; and by entering into it we shall be prepared for our place above.
We get that idea in this chapter. The Lord says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" -- that is our object down here. Then He says, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have", etc. In seeking the kingdom, we are prepared to receive the kingdom. On the other hand, if we apprehend that it is our Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom, we act here according to the kingdom. We sell that we have and give to the poor, because the
first principle of the kingdom undoubtedly is righteousness, and righteousness means dispersion. There is a remarkable passage in Psalm 112:9, quoted by the apostle in 2 Corinthians 9:9, as marking the righteous man. "He hath dispersed; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness endureth for ever". Now if we are affected by the reality that it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, we shall lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven, not on earth.
I am going to take up a few details which come out in this chapter, to show what should characterise the friends of Christ down here. That is the position in which, at the beginning of the chapter, the Lord recognises the disciples: "I say unto you my friends". The disciples were His friends. I suppose the meaning of it is that He made known to them His mind. A man gives his confidence to his friend, and that is exactly what Christ had done to His disciples; He had not treated them as servants, but as friends.
Then the Lord unfolds, in the beginning of the chapter, the position which they were to occupy in testimony down here, and in the latter part, the conditions which are suitable to those in the place of testimony. It is one of the most lovely chapters you can find in the Scriptures, as marking out the conduct and bearing and deportment which is according to the mind of the Lord for those in the place of His friends down here. I think we may accept that place, as the friends of Christ. I quite admit the application to those who were round the Lord at that time, and who were to be the first to come into the place of testimony; but I do not think you can limit what comes out in the chapter to them, and I should suppose that it would be quite according to the pleasure of Christ that we should accept the place in which He puts His disciples as His friends, in the interests of the testimony.
Now I want to go back a little to indicate to you how, in the tenth chapter, we have an entirely new point of departure. I do not think you will understand the succeeding chapters if you fail to apprehend that. The parable of the good Samaritan, as it is commonly called, presents to us an entirely new departure: it is the introduction of a neighbour. There never had been a neighbour before, and it is the beginning of God's real ways in regard to man. There had been the priest and the Levite; but the law never was a neighbour, nor was it intended to be. It was impossible for the law to show mercy, or to take account of the real condition of man. Moses was not a neighbour; the priest and the Levite pass by; and the real outset of divine ways in regard to man is undoubtedly the introduction of a neighbour.
The earlier part of the gospel is taken up pretty much with the kingdom. Now we get an additional point in regard to the kingdom, that is, the introduction of a man. That is the place which Christ came here to fulfil. Everything that had been, whether it were law or what not, in the dealings of God, was in anticipation of the introduction of a man; and this was the point of departure in the accomplishment of what was according to God's mind in regard to men. One point as to the neighbour is that he comes in from without. He is not regarded as arising from what was previously recognised. He is not raised up in connection with the pre-existing system; he is a Samaritan, coming from without; but the point of his coming in is to act the neighbour, to show mercy.
Now a few words in regard to the one to whom mercy is to be shown. The moral condition of man is deplorable. To begin with, he is weak. The proof of his weakness is that he has to come down to death. In a sense, man is already half dead, for from the time he comes into the world death lies upon him. The strongest man -- a Samson -- must come down to
death. Samson in his end slew a great many Philistines, but he had to die himself. Then, too, man is without righteousness. The man that fell among thieves was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jericho was not the place to find righteousness. Man is without resources and afflicted of thieves. Satan has really stripped man, and left him without righteousness, without resources, half dead, with death upon him.
And this is not the condition of man at his worst, but at his best. Now the neighbour has come in to show mercy not simply to the Jew, but to man. He has come in from without, in the unconditional goodness of God. Every Christian is conscious at the beginning of his history that he has received blessing from Christ. It is, I suppose, our first impression in regard of Christ. Who, then, do you think has any claim upon you like the One who showed mercy to you? If it had not been for the mercy of Christ, we should have been in heathen darkness. He has come near to us in order that He might make us acquainted with God. This is the beginning of our acquaintance with Christ; but it is only the beginning.
The first point, then, is the apprehension of the neighbour, the relation in which Christ now stands to man, the new departure. All previous to that had been probationary dealings on the part of God, and when we come to the neighbour we come to the real point of departure. But the man who is the subject of mercy has to be formed, to be renewed; he is to be changed in the very texture of his moral being, and that comes to pass in regard to everyone to whom Christ has shown mercy.
There are two principles by which this is effected: one is by being riveted to Christ, so that the ear is entirely attentive to Christ, and the other is in having access to the Father by the Spirit. I have no doubt that those are the two principles by which the man who is the subject of mercy is formed according to
God. He becomes "according to God" the new man, created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth. What marked Mary was, that she was riveted to Jesus: she sat at Jesus' feet. Martha, too, had affection for Jesus, but she was not riveted to Jesus. Mary was; she had no ear for anyone else except Jesus: she heard His word, that is, the expression of Himself, so that He became known to her in that which He is; and she was affected and formed by it.
The Lord indicates thus the first great principle which affects the one to whom mercy has been shown. My impression is that many people allow other things to come in between them and Jesus. Even service, on the part of Martha, might come in between herself and Jesus; but a great many things which are not service at all may come in, and hence it is that the soul is not riveted to Jesus, and does not get the full benefit of His word. The Son of God is expressed in His word, and it ought to be an exercise with every one of us that we are coming to the clear knowledge of the Son of God. The effect of the mercy of Christ is to that end.
Now another point comes in, and that is, that such enjoy access to the Father. We learn what Christ is, but at the same time, through Him, we have access to the Father. If you have access to the Father, it is impossible to enjoy that without being very greatly affected by it. Even in human things we understand that if a man has access to great people in the world, he will undoubtedly be more or less affected by them. If a man keeps bad company, he will be affected by that company; but if a man keeps company morally superior to himself, he will be affected by it. So it is in regard to the Father: we enjoy access by Christ to the Father through the Spirit, and if this becomes a reality to us we cannot fail to be greatly affected by it. The practical result is that we are conscious not only of the mercy of Christ, but are formed according to
God by the knowledge of the Son of God, and by the enjoyment of access by the Spirit to the Father. I think those are the two great principles by which believers are formed according to God. God intends that we should take our character from Himself, as made known to us in the Son of God: the new man is created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth.
I want you to apprehend God's point of departure in the One who has come in to show mercy. It is a great thing to turn your back on other things, and to have your attention taken up with the blessed One who has come in as the vessel of God's mercy to act the part of neighbour; and the next step is that we sit at His feet to get the knowledge of Himself, and enjoy our privilege, by the Spirit, of access to the Father, that we may be formed in affections according to God. In enjoying access to the Father, you enjoy access to One who loves, and then you get the blessed response to this love on the part of the Christian, "We love Him because He first loved us". That is the way in which the friends of Christ are formed, and there is no other. His friends must be according to Himself, or He would not care about them: if Christ condescends to have friends, it is clear that they must be according to Himself, otherwise they could not be in the secret of His mind. Even in worldly things, I do not think that any man will be my intimate friend unless there is something in common between my mind and his; and if I am not morally according to Christ, I doubt if I can be His friend; but our privilege is to be in the place of friends of Christ.
Now I pass on to the twelfth chapter. We have seen how the friends of Christ are formed. The twelfth chapter, verses 4 to 12, contemplates them in the place of testimony. The first thing is, that you should not be afraid of man. And you can understand this: If you are afraid of man, you are in danger of playing
the hypocrite. A hypocrite is a person who does not come out in his true colour, and I think that would often apply to myself, and to many a Christian: he does not come out in his true colour. His true colour is that he is a friend of Christ. You will come out in your true colour some day, but the point is that in this world we should not act the part of hypocrites, but come out as Christ's friends.
Another point is that we confess the Son of man. That means a great deal. I do not fear man -- man is about me; all his power and glory are in the world, and in spite of that I do not fear him. The secret of that is that I expect nothing from him. I believe many of us are hampered by having expectations from man, and are thus kept in bondage to man. The friend of Christ does not fear man: but fears God, and confesses the Son of man. In the eyes of the world at the present time the Son of man is simply nothing. In the politics of the world the idea of the Son of man does not enter; and yet, after all, God has put all things under His feet, and He is going to overturn everything in the world. His rights are in abeyance for the moment, while He is at the right hand of God; but He has rights in regard to the world here. Everything is put under His feet, and we are not ashamed of the Son of man: we confess Him. It is a great thing for us to apprehend the reality to which the Spirit witnesses -- a Man in heaven, under whose feet everything is placed. That Man is known to us. He is not ashamed to call us friends, and we are left here for a moment for the confession of that Man. When I see people prepared to accept the glory of man and to do homage to man in the world, the impression produced upon me is that they do not think much of the Son of man.
Now I come to another point. The same Spirit by whom we enjoy access to the Father is the real power of our witness down here. The disciples were not toTHE HEAD OF ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER (2)
THE HEAD OF ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER (3)
THE HEAD OF ALL PRINCIPALITY AND POWER (4)
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
FRIENDS OF CHRIST